Congressional Republicans introduce bill to ban trans athletes from US Olympic team
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games take place from 26 July-11 August. (Getty)
Republican politicians in the US have introduced a bill aimed at preventing trans women competing in the nation’s Olympic team, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Florida representative Greg Steube and Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville introduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act last week. It seeks to ban transgender women from participating in any team recognised by the US Olympic committee, meaning even amateur events could be affected.
According to LGBTQ Nation, Tuberville, a long-time supporter of Donald Trump, expressed concern over USA Boxing’s guidelines around trans inclusion, which allow trans women to compete as women but with strict rules in place, such as the requirement of gender confirmation surgery, thus excluding many boxers.
“It is deeply disturbing to see USA Boxing change its policy to allow men to box against women,” Tuberville said.
“Men should not be competing in women’s sports at any level and especially not in a sport like boxing.”
The former high school and college football coach added: “Whether in little league or the Olympics, it’s unsafe, it’s unfair and it’s just plain wrong. This bill will ensure that the Olympics are fair to American women who train their whole lives to represent our country on the world stage.”
Currently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), allows the governing bodies of individual sports to set their own rules around the inclusion of trans athletes.
Previously, IOC guidelines said that trans women must have testosterone levels below 10 nanomoles per litre a year before competing if they were to take part.
However, the rule wasn’t without fault and led to cisgender women being banned from female sporting events because of naturally high testosterone levels.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August.
