January 1, Trans Athletes Effectively Banned From Competition

FINA, the governing body of international swimming, has banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s events if they didn’t complete transition before age 12 — effectively banning trans athletes from competition.

“They’re not saying everyone should transition by age 11, that’s ridiculous. You can’t transition by that age in most countries and hopefully, you wouldn’t be encouraged to,” said James Pearce, a spokesperson for FINA president Husain Al-Musallam.

“Basically, what they’re saying is that it is not feasible for people who have transitioned to compete without having an advantage.”

The new rule will impact Lia Thomas, the first trans woman to win an NCAA Division I women’s swimming championship.

FINA’s new policy sparked uproar within the LGBTQ community, with critics denouncing it as discriminatory.

“This is horrific,” tweeted Charlotte Clymer, a transgender activist. “FINA has chosen to disregard science and bow to political pressure brought about by vicious anti-trans propaganda.”

But former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, who has previously voiced her belief that it’s unfair for transgender women to compete in women’s sports, applauded FINA’s new policy.

“It worked!” Jenner tweeted. “I took a lot of heat — but what’s fair is fair! If you go through male puberty you should not be able to take medals away from females. Period.”