Hindering transgender women from participating in sports.
FINA, the international swimming federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee, announced that transgender women would not be allowed in major races for those who were assigned female at birth.
This new policy did not absolutely disqualify trans women from participating in women’s sports. Instead, it requires any transformations to be completed by age 12 to compete in women’s events. Curiously, this is not supposed to be taken as FINA’s way of saying that children should become transgender before they become teenagers; instead, “it’s what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,” FINA spokesperson James Pearce was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. “Basically, what they’re saying is that it is not feasible for people who have transitioned to compete without having an advantage.”
Inadvertently promoting segregation, FINA is now working to create an “open” category for some events for transgender people who want to compete.
