Athlete Ally Responds to British Triathlon Gender Policy
July 7, 2022 — Athlete Ally responded today to news that British Triathlon has announced a new policy affecting the participation of transgender and nonbinary athletes, effective January 1, 2023, making British Triathlon the first UK governing body to ban transgender women from racing in the women’s category. In addition, the policy creates an “open category” for all transgender and nonbinary people and will issue athletes in this category a men’s professional license, regardless of their gender identity.
Chris Mosier, Team USA athlete and the Founder of TransAthlete.com, responded on Twitter: “As far as I know, no trans woman currently competes or has EVER competed in elite level triathlon in any country, including Great Britain, England, Scotland or Wales. British Triathlon’s move to ban trans women doesn’t address any real issue; it’s discrimination plain & simple… Separate is never equal. Period. Forcing athletes to a separate third category is not a solution for inclusion.”
“We are incredibly disheartened to see British Triathlon follow incomplete and misleading data, political pressure, and intense fear mongering rather than facts and fairness,” said Anne Lieberman, Director of Policy and Programs at Athlete Ally. “At the highest level of sport, the International Olympic Committee affirmed that transgender athletes have no inherent advantage and have outlined clear guidance to create evidence-based and human rights-centered policies. This new policy does nothing to address the actual challenges women face in sports; rather, it creates unnecessary divisions and sidelines athletes – especially youth, who will feel the impact of this policy the most – from the lifesaving power of sports.”
Photo by Daniel Llorente on Unsplash