British Cycling A new transgender and non-binary participation policy released Friday will prevent riders born male from competing in select women’s events.
The board’s new rules for competitive events, set to come into effect later this year, will see races split into trans women, trans men, non-binary individuals and those designated as male, as well as “open” and “female” categories. qualified to compete in the open category.
The female category will remain for transgender men who have been assigned female at birth and have not yet started hormone therapy.
The current men’s category will be merged into an open category, where those whose sex is determined as female at birth can also compete if they wish.
British Cycling suspended its previous policy last April due to controversy surrounding the transgender woman. Emily Bridges she tried to compete as a female rider in the national omnium championships.
Jon Dutton, the new CEO of the board, who has been in office for a month, said he was “sorry” over the 13 months of worry and sadness.
But shortly before British Cycling’s statement was released, Bridges used social media to denounce the new policy.
In a statement from InstagramHe described the policy as “an act of violence” and accused the governing body of “advancing a genocide against us”.
“I agree that there should be a nuanced policy debate and continued research, but that didn’t happen,” Bridges added.
“The research is not critically reviewed or there is no discussion about the relevance of the data to specific sports.
“Any discussion is political in nature and is led by malicious actors, and the entire discussion is framed by the media driven by engagement with funding and hatred from far-right ultra-capitalists.
“I’ve surrendered my body to science for the past two years and this data will be out soon. Real, relevant data is coming soon and discussions need to be made.”
Emily Bridges, one of cycling’s most high-profile transgender rivals (ITV News/PA)
(PA Environment)
The policy is followed by a consultation process with riders and stakeholders, including members of the UK team, as well as British Cycling’s chief medical officer, Dr. It is the result of a nine-month review that included a study of current medical research led by Nigel Jones. .
This research is said to show a clear performance advantage for individuals who have gone through puberty as a man and cannot be completely mitigated by testosterone suppression.
British Cycling’s previous transgender policy allowed riders with testosterone levels below five nanomoles per liter during the 12-month period prior to competition to compete in the female category.
The governing body will continue to review new research as it becomes available through policy, which is regularly reviewed.
Dutton said that the driving force behind competitive policy is “fairness”, a non-competitive policy that keeps club outings, coaching programs and other events open to everyone, driven by “inclusiveness”.
“It’s an incredibly emotional and sometimes divisive subject area,” Dutton said.
“We spent months looking at three areas: first consultation with affected athletes and the wider cycling community; secondly, to look at the medical research available at this point in time; and third, from a legal point of view in relation to the Equality Act.
We decided on a balance of all three to provide clarity, direction and a clear path forward for any affected athlete.”
British Cycling sought to contact affected athletes prior to the new policy’s release, and Dutton said support will be offered to those whose paths to compete at elite level may now be closed.
“We accept and understand that, and that’s why we need to continue to support those affected.”
“I am sorry it has taken so long to get to this point and the sadness and anxiety some people have had to go through, but I recognize that this has been a difficult moment for some people directly affected.”
There is still no set date for the new regulations to be implemented, with the governing body saying it will only be before the end of the year, allowing time for changes in technical regulations and discussions with the UCI on implementation.
The new policy differs from that of the world governing body, which pledged to re-look at its own regulations after American transgender woman Austin Killips won the Gila Tour in New Mexico earlier this month.
The UCI allows male puberty trans women to compete in elite women’s competitions if their testosterone levels have decreased by 2.5 nanomoles per liter in the past two years.
The UCI has resumed consultation with athletes and national federations for reporting by August, when the UCI steering committee will meet during the world championships in Glasgow.
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