The IOC advances in the regularization of sex change in sport: «Athletes should not be excluded because of their transgender identity«
El International Olympic Committee (IOC), chaired by Thomas Bach, has announced the publication of a new framework on equity, inclusion and non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual gender identity and sexual variations in which it undertakes to promote equality. The COI on Tuesday called on each federation to set its rules to validate gender changes and allow each athlete to compete in any specialty as long as it does not represent a disadvantage for other rivals.
After a two-year consultation process in which more than 250 athletes and stakeholders, the framework outlined some aspects of gender equality in sport and introduced a variation on how to organize the participation of athletes who change gender in different sports.
«El COI recognizes that it should be the responsibility of each sport and its governing body to determine how an athlete may have a disproportionate advantage compared to their peers, taking into account the nature of each sport«, Explains in a statement. «Therefore, the IOC is not in a position to issue regulations defining the eligibility criteria for each sport, discipline or event in the very different national jurisdictions and sports systems."He adds.
The aim of the framework will be to provide sporting bodies with a ten-principle approach to help them develop criteria applicable to their sport. All should consider particular ethical, social, cultural and legal aspects that may be «relevant»In context.
The document was prepared after consulting 250 athletes and international federations, sports organizations, experts in human, legal and medical rights. It replaces and updates the previous declarations of the COI on this issue, including the 2015 Consensus Statement.
Testosterone
The previous policy allowed transgender athletes compete as long as your testosterone levels were below a certain limit for at least 12 months prior to your first competition. In the ad, the COI He said the new framework will move away from this. «You don't need to use testosterone (to decide who can compete) at all. But this is an orientation, it is not an absolute rule«Explained the medical director of the IOC, Richard Budgett. There is a debate in the scientific community as to whether androgen hormones such as testosterone are useful markers of athletic advantage.
«This framework recognizes both the need to ensure that all people, regardless of their gender identity or sexual variations, can practice sport in a safe and harassment-free environment that recognizes and respects their needs and identities, as well as the interests of all - particularly of elite athletes - to participate in fair competitions in which no participant has an unfair and disproportionate advantage over the rest", Add.
Ensure that the competition
Also, the COI made it clear that most organized high-level sports competitions are organized with men's and women's categories competing separately. In this context, the principles contained in the framework aim to 'ensure that the competition»In each of the categories is«fair and safe»And that athletes are not excluded«solely because of their transgender identity or their sex variations«.
«When eligibility criteria must be established to regulate participation in the male and female categories, the establishment and application of these criteria must be carried out as part of a global approach based on respect for internationally recognized human rights, on solid evidence and in consultation with athletes. In doing so, precautions must be taken to avoid causing harm to the health and well-being of athletes«, Informs.
Finally, the COI noted that the framework was written taking into account the specific needs of organized high-level sports competitions, the general principles of inclusion and non-discrimination that “should be promoted and defended at all levels of sport«.
