Sure, I do it all the time. Turns out, volleyball has a real advantage for height. Should we ban all women over 6ft from playing volleyball? Being that tall is inherently unfeminine. Or maybe we should just ban any women who are too good at sports? Women are supposed to be gentle and soft, not aggressive! Get those aggressive, competative, manly women outta here.

The situation you’re talking about is rare enough to be negligible compared to the number of people excluded from women in sports communities for no reason. And honestly, for the VAST majority of athletes, playing sports is about community and inclusion, not accolades.

Hey, hey! I’m a woman athlete, and I think you should stfu. Trans rights are human rights.

Bean soup, the best of all soups

There are also a few, more recent companion books that give a lot of historical context to both Melville and whaling, etc

Why Read Moby Dick? By Nathaniel Philbrick

Ahab’s Rolling Sea, by Richard J King