USA Powerlifting announced last week that transgender women will not be allowed to compete as women, because a male transitioning to female poses a naturally high level of androgens, such as testosterone, which provide advantages, including “increased body and muscle mass, bone density, bone structure, and connective tissue.”
This decision was made in late January after the USAPL denied the application of JayCee Cooper, a trans women who signed up for an event in Minnesota last December. In a letter addressed to the USAPL on January 31, Minnesota state rep, Ilhan Omar (D), called for the organization to lift its ban on transgender women competing against biological females and followed in the footsteps of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which allows trans women to compete against other biological women as long as their testosterone levels are lowered to a certain level.
“I urge you to reconsider this discriminatory, unscientific policy and follow the example of the International Olympic Committee,” Omar wrote in a letter to USA Powerlifting. “The myth that trans women have a direct competitive advantage is not supported by medical science, and it continues to stoke fear and violence against one of the most at-risk communities in the world.”
On February 5, Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate announced that they would allow all transgender athletes to compete. “We have had the privilege of hosting transgender athletes in our meets in the past,” the post said. “And they have done so because of our Family Friendly environment, Lifter-First policy and Non-Judgmental approach to how a person chooses to live their lives.” Check out the original post below:
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The post, however, was inundated with negative comments, including death threats, prompting RPS to remove it. According to a follow-up post, they were advised by legal council to revoke their transgender policy.
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We’ll have more information on this story as it becomes available.
