British Cycling Bans Trans Women From Female Competition

British Cycling has prohibited transgender women from competing in the female category at all events in order to “safeguard the fairness of competition.”

The new rules for competitive events, which are set to go into effect later this year, will divide racing into “open” and “female” categories, with transgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals, and those whose sex was assigned male at birth eligible to compete in the open category.

The female category will be retained for those whose sex was designated female at birth, as well as transgender men who have not yet begun hormone therapy.

Those whose sex was designated as female at birth can also compete in the open category, which will combine the present men’s category.

Read Also: Priyanka Chopra Share Dehumanizing Moment In Her Career

British Cycling suspended its prior policy in April, following controversy over transgender cyclist Emily Bridges’ attempt to compete in the national omnium championships as a female racer.

Bridges’ ambitions of competing in women’s contests are dashed by the new policy change.

Bridge declared the policy to be a “violent act” on Instagram, charging that British Cycling was “furthering a genocide against us” and that the “racing scene was dying” under their watch.

She also suggested she was contemplating leaving the sport, writing: “I don’t even know if I want to race my bike anymore. The danger and everything that would come with racing make it a pretty hard thing to justify to myself. But you have no right telling me when I am done. This is my decision and mine alone.

“I might be speaking strongly at the moment but this is my reality right now. It is literally a fight for survival for me and my family at the moment.”

Bridges also said: “I agree there needs to be a nuanced policy discussion and continue to conduct research, but this hasn’t happened. Research isn’t being viewed critically, or any discussion about the relevance of the data to specific sports.

“Any discussion is inherently political and driven by bad faith actors. I’ve given my body up to science for the last two years, and this data will be out soon. There is actual, relevant data coming soon and discussions need to be had.”