Caitlyn Jenner Supports FINA Transgender Swimming Ban
Transgender Olympian Caitlyn Jenner has been outspoken with support for Fédération Internationale de Natation’s (FINA) ban on transgender women competing in women’s nationwide swimming events. Namely, 152 FINA members have voted to release their “gender inclusion policy” that effectively bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s swimming if they have previously undergone any portion of male puberty. This means that any athlete who began their transition after the age of 12 will be banned from competing in women’s swimming events.
This ruling falls three months after The University of Pennsylvania’s Lia Thomas’ win as the first transgender competitor to win a national title in any sporting event. According to FINA, certain levels of testosterone can interfere with fairness in certain sporting events. As a result, transgender competitors must show their testosterone level has consistently been under 2.5 nanomoles per liter. Trans women on hormone replacement therapy often have a T-level below 1.
It’s also worth noting that scientists have said repeatedly that the science of whether testosterone actually provides an athletic advantage is not clearly established.
In an attempt to remedy this decision, FINA has created an “open” category for people who cannot fit within these narrow boundaries. This, obviously, continues to face massive pushback from the trans community and allies alike. Jenner, on the other hand, supports the FINA transgender ban wholeheartedly.
Given that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians co-star competed pre-transition, she has been elected as something of a spokesperson for certain groups who advocate for these kinds of rules to be placed upon transgender competitors.
According to Jenner, “wokeness” is at the root of what’s to blame for “anti-discriminatory” rules being enacted. Jenner argues on Twitter that Lia Thomas has “taken” medals from cisgender women, and that she can no longer be a bystander to the woke world.
In an interview earlier this year, Jenner says that she feels “sorry for the other athletes that are out there, especially at Penn or anybody she’s competing against, because in the woke world, you’ve got to say, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is great.’ No, it’s not.”
Instead, Jenner vows to combat wokeness and continue to advocate for this ruling under the guise of advocating for “fairness.”
