Women’s rights group, The Countess, gave a cautious welcome to the new British Cycling Transgender Policy, saying, “This policy has been introduced after a robust process and centres fairness for women and girls in competitive cycling.”
Sports spokeswoman for the Countess, Sorcha Nic Lochlainn, said that the British “policy does have some flaws, however”.
“It doesn’t protect recreational and club competition for females, and so fairness and safety at these levels are still issues.” “Elite sports don’t happen in a vacuum; grassroots and recreational events feed up, and it is disappointing that these grades were not also protected.”
The policy also allows men to use the female changing facilities, so privacy and dignity for women and girls are still compromised by having to share these spaces with male cyclists. This is a violation of women’s rights to single-sex spaces.
British Cycling revised its policy after female cyclists threatened a boycott over the proposed participation of Emily Bridges, a transgender man who trained at the men’s elite academy up until August 2021.
In 2018, Bridges set a national junior men’s record that is two minutes faster than any senior female rider has achieved. Only after Bridges was informed that he was no longer going to be part of the Great Britain Cycling Team did he attempt to participate in female cycling competitions.
Nic Lochlainn outlined the difficulties for female athletes in speaking up. “It’s not always possible for women and girls to speak up, as the elite cyclists did. Often, they are intimidated and afraid of losing opportunities.
“Being targeted by activists is a very real fear, especially after what happened to Riley Gaines in the US,” she said.
“The effectiveness of the cyclists’ protest shows that there is strength in numbers, and the Countess hopes other women are encouraged by this victory and speak up for themselves and their sports
Cycling Ireland allows males to race against females and has based its policy on the UCI and IOC guidelines, which use testosterone suppression to regulate entry into the female category by men who say they are women. Scientific research shows testosterone suppression does not negate the male puberty advantage in any sport, particularly cycling, and internationally, it has been shown time and again to be unfair to women and girls
The Countess is continuing to campaign for single-sex sports and spaces to be retained and calls on Cycling Ireland to follow suit, amend its 2021 policy, and protect female cyclists in Ireland.