A complex process

Once more unto the breach dear friends – we will square the circle, we will we will we will.

A ‘balance between fairness and inclusion’: USA Cycling unveils new Transgender Athlete Participation Policy

Raises hand

Excuse me excuse me this is competitive sports you’re talking about. It can’t be “inclusive” at all times because of the competitive bit. The whole point of competition is to exclude everyone but the winner. Inclusion isn’t the goal.

Also, of course, what they mean by “a balance between fairness and inclusion” is inclusion of men who pretend to be women at the expense of women. You can’t “balance” that. You might as well try to balance a piano on your finger.

As of 17 July 2023, all transgender women who have transitioned after puberty are banned from competing in the women’s category at UCI-sanctioned events.

For non-UCI-sanctioned events, USA Cycling has devised a two-tiered system aimed at striking a balance between fairness and inclusivity in the sport.

That is, a balance between fairness to women and inclusivity of men in the women’s category in the sport. Put like that it doesn’t sound quite so fair and balancey, does it.

“The revision of our Transgender Participation Policy was a complex process guided by several factors. Foremost was the direction of our Board of Directors, who asked us to prioritize the balance between fairness and inclusion,” states USA Cycling CEO Brendan Quirk.

The Board of Directors asked them to prioritize the balance between fairness to women and inclusion of men, in other words it asked them to do the impossible.

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