International Olympic Committee issues new guidelines on transgender athletes
Athletes will no longer be required to undergo “medically
unnecessary” hormone treatments to compete, the IOC said.
The International Olympic Committee announced a new
framework for transgender and intersex athletes Tuesday, dropping controversial
policies that required competing athletes to undergo "medically
unnecessary" procedures or treatment.
In a six-page document, the IOC outlined 10 principles,
which it described as "grounded on the respect for internationally
recognised human rights," that sports competitions should follow. It also
said it will no longer require athletes to undergo hormone level modifications
to compete.
"This Framework recognises both the need to ensure that
everyone, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, can practise
sport in a safe, harassment-free environment that recognises and respects their
needs and identities," the committee said.
The new framework is not legally binding and was developed
following an “extensive consultation” with athletes, other sports organizations
and experts in the fields of human rights, law and medicine, the IOC said. It
comes just three months after the Tokyo Olympics, which saw the first
transgender and intersex athletes compete in the Games' history.
Tuesday's framework replaces guidelines the IOC released in
2015, which put a limit on athletes' testosterone levels that required some of
them to undergo treatments the IOC now describes as "medically
unnecessary." Before 2015, the IOC required athletes to undergo genital
surgery.
Chris Mosier was the first out trans athlete to compete on a
U.S. national team, in the 2016 world championship for the sprint duathlon, and
has challenged some of the previous guidelines. Mosier applauded the release of
the new framework, writing on Twitter that it “takes the next step in centering
human rights as the foundation of sport.”
“The new IOC Framework makes clear that no athlete has an
inherent advantage & moves away from eligibility criteria focused on
testosterone levels, a practice that caused harmful & abusive practices
such as invasive physical examinations & sex testing,” he wrote.
Canadian soccer gold medalist Quinn, who in July became the
first openly transgender athlete to participate in the Olympics, also chimed
in, calling the new framework "groundbreaking."
“Far too often, sport policy does not reflect the lived
experience of marginalized athletes, and that’s especially true when it comes
to transgender athletes and athletes with sex variations,” Quinn said in a
statement. “This new IOC framework is groundbreaking in the way that it
reflects what we know to be true — that athletes like me and my peers
participate in sports without any inherent advantage, and that our humanity
deserves to be respected.”
LGBTQ advocates welcomed the IOC's new guidelines but
stressed that following the implementation process is necessary.
“As with any set of guidelines, the success of this new
framework in ensuring a safe and welcoming environment within the Olympic
movement will largely depend on the education and implementation process with
national governing bodies, international federations, and other key
stakeholders,” Anne Lieberman, the director of policy and programs at LGBTQ
advocacy group Athlete Ally, said in a statement.
Some advocates argued that while the IOC's new framework is
intended for elite athletes, it bolsters their case in their fight against
state bills in the United States that restrict transgender students'
participation in school sports.
"On the heels of the most anti-LGBTQ legislative
session in history with the majority of bills targeting trans youth in sports,
every state and lawmaker should listen to the experts from the world of sports,
medicine, and athletes themselves to allow transgender youth the same
opportunities to play with their friends, have fun, learn, grow, and benefit
from the lasting life lessons and supportive community sports can
provide," Alex Schmider, the associate director of transgender representation
at LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, said in a statement.
Ten U.S. states have enacted laws restricting trans
students’ participation in school sports, according to the Movement Advancement
Project, a nonprofit think tank. An additional 21 states have considered similar
bills in 2021, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
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