Cycling: Transgender athletes cannot compete with women. Read what the trans athlete says
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), sport cycling's governing body, announced on Friday that transgender female cyclists will not be able to compete in international women's events if they have "transitioned after puberty".
“From now on, transgender female athletes who have made the transition after puberty (male) will be prohibited from participating in women's events on the UCI international calendar – in all categories – in the various disciplines,” the release reads, according to as reported by Fox News.
According to a press release published on Friday, the UCI decided to adapt the rule during a July 5 meeting with athletes and other experts, including human rights, scientific and legal experts. “First of all, the UCI would like to reiterate that cycling – as a competitive sport, recreational activity or means of transport – is open to everyone, including transgender people, whom we encourage like everyone else to participate in our sport,” he said. UCI president David Lappartient in the statement.
"I would also like to reiterate that the UCI fully respects and supports the right of people to choose the sex that corresponds to their gender identity, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth."
“However,” Lappartient noted – after dismissing the politically sensitive comment – the UCI “has a duty above all to ensure equal opportunities for all competitors in cycling competitions”.
“It is this imperative that led the UCI to conclude that, given that the current state of scientific knowledge does not guarantee such equality of opportunity between transgender female athletes and cisgender participants, it was not possible, as a precautionary measure, to authorize the former to compete in the women's categories,” Lappartient said.
A rare shot of common sense in a world now ruled by ideology.
The UCI's decision comes just one day after a South Korean man who identifies as a transgender woman competed and won a cycling race to prove that trans athletes are physically stronger, calling them "selfish".
As The Epoch Times reports, Na Hwa-rin, 37, underwent gender reassignment surgery and was officially recognized as a woman in Seoul last year, complete with her birth certificate being reissued in April. She competed in and won a cycling race at this year's Gangwon Sports Festival in eastern Gangwon province in the women's category to prove her case, the Korea Times reported.
“I have no unresolved feelings about winning, because it's not what I want anymore. My goal was to stir up controversy and make my story known by competing,” Na told the newspaper on June 23. In an attempt to make a point, Na described feeling "more relieved than triumphant" as he crossed the finish line of the race. He wanted to prove that biological men are physically superior to transgender athletes competing in women's categories.
Mr. Na surpassed his female competitors with his physicality, standing around 1.90m tall. and weighing approximately 1.75m, with a skeletal muscle mass of 1.75m, the outlet reported.
Feeling embarrassed by his win, he said he offered the riders who lost to him energy drinks as an apology for stealing their glory. Na, who comes from a Christian family, emphasized that she chose that race because it was a provincial event, not a professional race that could hurt a professional athlete's career.
“I am not honoured. I'm not proud of myself at all. I think other transgender athletes feel the same way,” she said. “Maybe they don't want to admit it,” he added, referring to international trans athletes, “but they are selfish. There's no honor as an athlete in that."
Mr Na's win attracted support from LGBT advocates, but it sparked a debate in South Korea about the fairness of men who identify as women in competing with women in sports. His desire for fairness kept him from trying to qualify for the National Sports Festival.
“I don't want to create a problem to the point of harming other people,” he said.
Supporting a “third gender” sports category
Mr. Na developed a passion for cycling by riding about nine miles to school every day. He later competed professionally as a cyclist, winning races in the men's categories.
“This sport has given me a sense of excitement and accomplishment and the catharsis of pushing my limits,” she said.
She now campaigns for a "third gender category" in competitive sports, believing that trans athletes should not compete alongside men and women.
“It could be like having many weight divisions in some sports,” Na said. “Under the current binary system, female athletes will be discouraged and their hard work may not be recognized due to the participation of transgender athletes.
“At the same time, trans female athletes, no matter how hard they work, will never be honored for their victories,” she continued. “Honor is the goal all athletes aspire to achieve, but this is a situation where no one will be honoured. I think this shouldn't happen."
Due to the lack of gender-specific regulations for the qualification of athletes by the Gangwon State Sports Council and the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee, Mr. Na was eligible to participate in the provincial competition, the Korea Times reported.
Na now works as an asparagus farmer in his hometown of Cheorwon, located about 43 miles northeast of Seoul on the border with North Korea.
The controversy over transgender athletes led the US House of Representatives in April to pass legislation barring taxpayer-funded institutions from allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports even in schools. The bill was considered dead upon arrival in the Senate, and President Joe Biden was expected to veto it if it managed to receive final congressional approval.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act sought to amend Title IX by defining sex as determined solely by an individual's reproductive biology and genetics at birth. The bill prohibits recipients of federal funding from allowing males to participate in women's athletic programs or activities designated for females, to prevent discrimination based on sex in education.
Supporters of the bill, and similar laws at the state level, frame the issue as protecting the integrity of women's sports competitions. Opponents frame it as bullying of the transgender community.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has said it will propose a regulation to broadly outlaw bans on transgender sports participation. This came after about 20 states moved to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.
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This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/ciclismo-gli-atleti-transgender-non-possono-gareggiare-con-le-donne-leggete-cosa-dice-latleta-trans/ on Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:10:05 +0000.