Toughen Up

To the Editor:

A response to last week’s letter:

Hurtful? Oh, please.

If we’re going to open that can of worms, how hurtful do you think it is to an actual female swimmer who has spent her whole life - untold hours - preparing to swim at the NCAA level, only to have the rules changed when she finally accomplishes her goal so that she is now competing against a man who wants to compete against women? Because that’s what it is. If you are genetically a man, swim with the men or get out of the pool. There are plenty of other pursuits in which a man - albeit a man in a woman’s clothes - would not have an unfair advantage based on his actual biology. You can “identify” all day long. But, it’s time we call a spade a spade. And if you find that hurtful, you might just want to toughen up.

Jamie Steinhauser Flatonia