♟️ Chess ban on trans women

Happy Sunday! It’s August 20 — people are talking about the chess ban on transgender women, the newly trending term “dusty sons”, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

♟️ In the news: Chess ban on trans women

The International Chess Federation has stopped allowing transgender women to play in women’s chess tournaments until “further analysis” can be made.

♟️ WaPo doesn’t like it. Chess is mental, not physical — so why does someone's body matter? This seems like a transphobic move, not a logical one.

♟️ The Pink News thinks all women should be offended. This ban suggests that being born male makes you inherently smarter.

♟️ The Mary Sue says it looks like full-blown transphobia, which is spreading at an alarming rate through competitive arenas, and not just physical sports. This ban sets a dangerous precedent.

♟️ But The Conversation explains that women's-only tournaments are important. Only 15% of U.S. players are female, and without dedicated support, the game of chess can’t continue to grow that number. It’s not about women being less capable — it’s about giving them ample opportunity.

🧑 Cultural trend: What are dusty sons?

There's a new parenting term sweeping TikTok: Dusty sons. What does this term mean, and why is it trending?

🧑 Parents.com: The "dusty son" is a term to describe toxic masculinity mixed with laziness. Moms are teaching their sons not to be dusty, helping out their future partners.

🧑 TikToker the_bowes says we should teach our daughters not to tolerate dusties. Our daughters should be taken on dates and treated like queens.

🧑 Men’s Resource Center adds that when men are "dusty", it hurts them too — toxic masculinity harms everyone. Men suffer in silence from their upbringing, and it's time to make a change.

🧑 Medium writer Lindon B. Cano takes a different viewpoint: Being “dusty” isn’t being masculine at all — those guys just suck!

Quick hits

⚽ Inter Miami beat Nashville FC to win the Leagues Cup, the club’s first trophy ever. Miami hasn't lost a match since Messi joined in July. (CNN)

🛰 Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after spinning out of control. (The Guardian)

⛈️ Hilary weakened from a Category 1 hurricane into a tropical storm Sunday morning, but is still expected to slam into Southern California. (CNN)

⚽ Spain beat England 1-0 to win the Women's World Cup. (ESPN)

That’s it for today! Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)