British Cycling bans transgender riders from female category
Two new policies covering competitive and non-competitive trans and non-binary participation come after a nine-month review process
British Cycling has blocked transgender women from competing in female events. This comes as part of two new transgender policies issued by the governing body covering competitive and non-competitive activities.
The organisation’s previous testosterone-based policy was suspended in April last year. This was, in part, due to fears trans athlete Emily Bridges would have had an advantage competing at the Omnium National Championship.
Under the new competitive policy, events will no longer have male and female categories. Instead there will now be a female and an ‘open’ category.
Transgender men, women and non-binary athletes can compete in the open category alongside male athletes. The female category will remain in place for athletes whose sex was assigned female at birth. Transgender men who are yet to begin hormone therapy will also be eligible to compete in the category.
The new legislation from the governing body differs to that currently enforced by cycling’s world governing body the UCI.
Under UCI rules, transgender women are allowed to compete with reduced testosterone levels. However, the UCI’S policy attracted criticism that it was unfair to cis women in the aftermath of 27-year-old Austin Killips’s recent win at the Tour of the Gila in the United States, a 2.2 class event.
It subsequently said it would be reopening its consultation on the matter. A decision is expected in August.
British Cycling’s second policy – the policy for noncompetitive activity – is aimed at ensuring the continuing participation of trans and non-binary riders, in line with their gender identities, across all of its non-competitive activities such as the Breeze programme.
This includes club and coach-led activities, ability-based race programmes such as Go-race events, community programmes and non-competitive events such as sportives.