Trans athletes will now be allowed to compete in the Olympics without getting surgery first
TW: problematic wording (”once declared female??”)
New guidelines have been put in place to ensure trans people are not excluded from competing in the worldwide sporting competition.
The IOC have found: ‘To require surgical anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights.’
While bottom surgery is not a requirement, the IOC will ensure trans female athletes have the right levels of testosterone and hormones before they compete to protect fair competition. Trans female athletes, once declared female, cannot change their identity for sporting purposes for a minimum of four years. They may also be subject to hormone testing. If they do not comply, they could face banning from the sport for a year.
The guidelines say trans men can complete in male categories without restriction. Joanna Harper, a trans chief medical physicist, told Outsports the ‘new IOC transgender guidelines fix almost all of the deficiencies with the old rules’.
‘Hopefully, organizations will quickly adapt to the new IOC guidelines and all of the outdated trans policies will get replaced soon.’
While no Olympic athlete has ever come out as trans, it does open it up for athletes are open about their gender identity. Triathlete Chris Mosier, who is hoping to make Team USA at the Summer Olympics, could become the first trans athlete to benefit from the new guidelines.