USA Cycling, UCI address questions on transgender women and fair competition
USA Cycling released a statement Wednesday regarding its policies on transgender women racing in women's category cycling at the non-elite and elite levels. Its statement was spurred in response to recent questions asked after Canadian cyclist Rachel McKinnon became the first transgender woman to win a world title at the UCI Masters Track World Championships in Los Angeles in October.
"USA Cycling is committed to creating an environment where our members have equal opportunity to participate in bicycle racing without discrimination," read USA Cycling’s statement.
"We understand the challenge of new, major additions to USA Cycling policy, and the ongoing need for conversation on diversity issues, specifically regarding the participation of transgender athletes.
"The rules and regulations developed by the IOC and UCI regarding transgender participation, which we follow at the elite level, seek to strike a balance between inclusion and fairness of competition for all athletes. USA Cycling’s transgender policy for non-elite amateur events is designed to do the same, but with less onerous requirements on transgender athletes and policies designed to promote inclusion while addressing capability, competition level, and required upgrades."
McKinnon was born biological male and identifies as being a transgender woman. She is an assistant professor and PhD in philosophy at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and teaches philosophy and ethics with a focus on gender studies. McKinnon is a former badminton player who started racing bikes on the road and track when she moved to South Carolina, and she is a licenced member of USA Cycling.
At the UCI Masters Track World Championships, McKinnon won the women’s 34-44 sprint gold-medal round against Carolien Van Herrikhuyzen (Netherlands) to win the world title. As a transgender woman, McKinnon followed the highest-set policies issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that allow her to compete in the women's category.
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