A coalition of Republican legislators has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to limit participation in women’s sports categories to individuals assigned female at birth. In a letter addressed to IOC President Thomas Bach, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of preserving fair competition and safeguarding opportunities for female athletes.
The letter identified key areas impacted by the existing IOC policies:
- Fair Competition: The legislators argue that allowing transgender women—individuals assigned male at birth but who identify as female—to compete in women’s sports undermines fair competition. They assert that biological differences can provide advantages in strength and endurance, potentially disadvantaging cisgender female athletes.
- Safety Concerns: The letter highlights potential safety issues, particularly in contact sports, where physical disparities could increase the risk of injury for cisgender women.
- Preservation of Women’s Sports: The lawmakers express concern that the inclusion of transgender women may deter cisgender women from participating in sports, thereby diminishing opportunities and representation for biological females.
The IOC’s current guidelines, established in 2021, allow transgender women to compete in women’s categories without requiring gender confirmation surgery, provided their testosterone levels remain below a specified threshold for at least 12 months prior to competition. The IOC emphasizes inclusion and nondiscrimination, leaving specific eligibility criteria to individual sports federations.
This appeal from U.S. lawmakers coincides with a broader national discourse on transgender participation in sports. Several U.S. states have enacted laws restricting transgender athletes’ participation in school sports, reflecting a polarized debate on balancing inclusivity with competitive fairness.
The lawmakers are urging the IOC to revisit their stance in order to protect “the integrity of women’s Olympic competitions and ensure that only biological women and girls are allowed to compete in female sports categories. The Olympic Games should be a model for integrity in sports, and the next IOC president must firmly defend the rights of dedicated female athletes. We look forward to your leadership on this critical issue and demand that the next IOC president preserve the fundamental principles of fair competition.”
