Bigotry behind Olympic rule against trans women
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that, starting with the 2028 Olympics, it will no longer allow transgender women to compete in the female category. IOC President Kirsty Coventry appeared in a video on the IOC website, explaining, “The policy that we have announced was based on science, and it has been led by medical experts with the base interest of athletes at its heart.” (olympics.com, March 26)
AB Hernandez, center left, a transgender high school athlete who placed in the California Interscholastic Federation Track and Field State Championship, with other girl athletes who won medals, June 2025. The IOC ruling keeps her from participating in the 2028 Olympics.
According to Yahoo! Sports, athletes hoping to compete in the Olympics “will be screened via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample, per the IOC. Any athlete who tests negative for the sex-determining region Y (SRY) protein will be eligible to compete in the women’s category at the Olympics.” (March 26)
Transgender folks in sports, especially trans girls and women of color, have historically been demonized from both a transphobic standpoint as well as a racist standpoint. Not only will this Olympic rule affect trans women, but it also puts DSD (Differences in Sex Development) and intersex athletes, such as Caster Semenya, in a precarious position by upholding a gender binary.
The announcement from the IOC is outrageous, setting a precedent of genderphobia, racism and panic around sex ambiguity. It is not based on science and is rooted in anti-trans bigotry.
