EIGHT PLAYERS FROM IRAN'S FEMALE SOCCER TEAM ARE BEING
QUESTIONED FOR THEIR GENDER.
THERE ARE ACCUSATIONS THAT EIGHT OF THE WOMEN ARE NOT
ACTUALLY WOMEN, THEY ARE MEN.
>> EIGHT SO-CALLED WOMEN, STUPID.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW ACCURATE THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE.
THERE HASN'T BEEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS,
BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH BACK IN 2014
THERE WERE FOUR PLAYERS ON THE TEAM THAT WERE BEING
QUESTIONED BY AUTHORITIES BECAUSE IN IRAN THEY ARE VERY
OPEN-MINDED WHEN IT COMES TO GENDER REASSIGNMENT SURGERIES.
IT IS COMPLETELY LEGAL IN IRAN TO HAVE SEX REASSIGNMENT
SURGERY.
AUTHORITIES ARE SAYING THAT FOUR OF THE PLAYERS COULD HAVE
BEEN BORN AS MEN AND ARE TRANSITIONING TO WOMEN, BUT
THEY HAVEN'T UNDERGONE THE FULL TRANSITION WHICH IS WHY IT
IS UNFAIR FOR THEM TO BE ON THE TEAM.
THAT IS THE ALLEGATION.
>> THEY ARE CHEATING BY USING MEN ON THE SOCCER TEAM.
THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING.
CAN WE PUT THAT MAIN PICTURE UP
AGAIN?
I DON'T WANT TO CALL ANYBODY OUT.
>> YEAH, THAT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA.
>> LOOK AT THAT PICTURE.
THERE IS ONE DEFINITE.
>>THEY DIDN'T EVEN TRY.
>> THAT PERSON IS NOT EVEN TRYING.
I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT OUT BECAUSE THERE IS
A CHANCE I
AM WRONG.
>> WELL, YEAH.
WE'RE GOING TO LET THE AUDIENCE DECIDE.
WE WILL POST ñ
>> COME ON.
>> LET'S SAY THE UNITED STATES HAS A FOOTBALL TEAM
ñ IT'S DIFFERENT WITH AMERICAN SPORTS BECAUSE WE DON'T
HAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS.
>> YES WE DO.
>>THE BASKETBALL TEAMS?
>> WOMEN'S TENNIS.
>> TENNIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
SO YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT WAS BORN A MALE, NOW COMPETING
IN WOMEN'S TENNIS.
IT DID HAPPEN.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE
BECAUSE AS THEY BECOME MORE AND MORE OPEN-MINDED AND
TOLERANT, THESE ISSUES WILL KEEP COMING UP.
IT'S INTERESTING TO DELVE INTO THIS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO
APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THEM.
>> RICHARD WAS BORN AUGUST 19, 1934 IN NEW YORK.
HE BECAME REN…E RICHARDS, THE TENNIS PLAYER.
I AM READING FROM WIKIPEDIA, SO IF IT IS WRONG I AM SORRY.
HE WAS DENIED ENTRY BY THE USTA SIDING THAT WOMEN HAVE TO
BE BORN WOMEN.
SHE DISPUTED THE BAN AND THE NEW YORK SUPREME COURT IN 1977
RULED IN HER FAVOR.
THEY RULED IN FAVOR OF TRANSGENDER RIGHTS.
SHE CHALLENGED GENDER ROLES AND BECAME A ROLE MODEL FOR THE
TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.
SHE PLAYED DOUBLES AS A WOMAN AFTER THAT.
>> SO THE COURTS HAVE ALREADY DECIDED ON IT.
>>
IT SAYS HERE SHE MAY HAVE MADE ñ SHE MADE THE FINALS IN DOUBLES.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THERE WERE WOMEN COMPLAINING.
I KNOW THE RIGHT TO USE THE BATHROOM, AND NOT GET FIRED
FOR YOUR JOB, AND TO GET TREATED AS A PERSON YOU SEE
YOURSELF AS IS ALL FAIR GAME.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS FAIR ATHLETICALLY.
I AM TOO TRAPPED IN AN OLD-SCHOOL MIND.
IF WE SAW AN ELITE TENNIS PLAYER HAVE THE SURGERY TO
BECOME A WOMAN, AND THEN HE DOMINATES, WE WOULD ALL BE
LIKE, COME ON.
>> IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING DEBATE.
>> WE ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
>> I THINK WE WILL, BUT MAYBE WILL NOT BE AS COMMON.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I WANT TO CONSIDER IT A PROBLEM.
IT WILL BE AN ISSUE THOUGH.
>>
IF SOMEONE IS THAT GOOD AT TENNIS, THEY ARE PROBABLY GOING
TO
WANT TO COMPETE AGAINST THE MEN, AND THEN BY THE WAY, THEY
SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO COMPETE AGAINST A MAN.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING
UP WITH THE IRANIAN TEAM.
WITH WHAT WE THINK ABOUT IRAN,
IT'S FUNNY THAT THEY ARE
COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING MEN PLAY ON A WOMEN'S TEAM.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD SAY YOU CAN'T PLAY ON THE
WOMEN'S TEAM, YOU CAN'T EVEN TOUCH THEM.
BUT ODDLY ENOUGH THIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOW IRAN IS NOT AS
REPRESSIVE AS WE BELIEVE.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE A NUCLEAR BOMB EITHER, BUT THEY
ARE
NOT AS OPPRESSIVE.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THE WORLD CUP ñ
I HAVE NOT BEEN FOLLOWING THE DRAMA INVOLVING THE
EXECUTIVES WITH THE WORLD CUP ñ THE FIFA.
>>THEY ARE ALL LIARS AND CHEATS.
>> THE WORLD CUP WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HOSTED IN QATAR.
CAN YOU IMAGINE PLAYING SOCCER IN THE SWELTERING HEAT IN
QATAR WHILE WEARING THOSE HEADDRESSES?
IT'S PUTTING THESE PEOPLE IN DANGER.
>>I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IF IRAN HAS MEN ON
THE SOCCER TEAM, IT IS NOT WORKING.
THEY ARE NOT AN INTERNATIONAL POWER.