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news
Emily Bridges on cover of DIVA magazine“Trans rights are human rights,” says Rapha – “all athletes should have the opportunity to race”
Rapha has said that “trans rights are human rights” in a reference to Emily Bridges, the transgender cyclist who is pictured on the cover of this month’s issue of Diva, the magazine for LGBTQI women and non-binary people, wearing kit from the London-based clothing and accessories brand.
> Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges insists she has no advantage over rivals
Bridges had been due to make her debut in a women’s race at the National Omnium Championships in February after her testosterone levels fell within those allowed by British Cycling under its Transgender and Non-Binary Participation Policy.
However, world cycling’s governing body, the UCI, subsequently barred the 21 year old from competing at the event and British Cycling has since suspended its policy.
In her interview with Diva, Bridges insisted that the hormone replacement therapy she has undergone means she does not have a physical advantage over riders she would be competing against in women’s races.
“I don't have any advantage over my competitors and I've got data to back that up,” maintained the cyclist, who has been undergoing testing at Loughborough University.
In response to a tweet from road.cc linking to our coverage of Bridges’ interview, Rapha said: “Trans rights are human rights. We believe that all athletes should have the opportunity to race. We don’t have all the answers to how this should be actioned but we’re standing by our athletes and supporting them.”
Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges insists she has no advantage over rivals
“We're the current punching bag in the culture war,” says 21 year old in interview with DIVA magazinehttps://t.co/hmHRBvf9OD #cycling pic.twitter.com/ejzbaiTM2u
— road.cc (@roadcc) May 26, 2022
Trans rights are human rights. We believe that all athletes should have the opportunity to race. We don’t have all the answers to how this should be actioned but we’re standing by our athletes and supporting them.
— Rapha (@rapha) May 30, 2022
There are few issues in sport right now that are as polarising of opinion as whether transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s competitions, and SRS Events said in a tweet: “Can’t understand why Emily doesn’t understand that it’s unfair to cis women if she takes part in women’s cycle racing events?”
In response to that tweet, Bridges' mother Sandy Sullivan responded, saying: "Because she's spent the last nearly 18 months as part of detailed scientific research studies which includes muscular biopsy data amongst other DETAILED scientific testing. Compare [the above] to previous data held by BC (5 YRS WORTH).”
Because she's spent the last nearly 18 months as part of detailed scientific research studies which includes muscular biopsy data amongst other DETAILED scientific testing. Compare ⬆️ to previous data held by BC (5 YRS WORTH)
— Sandy 💜💙❤ 🏳️🌈 Ally She/Her (@sullivansa1) May 27, 2022
Bridges also told Diva that transgender athletes are “the current punching bag populist movements like to go for. We are, at the moment, who the culture war is against.
“There needs to be more positive voices and more education. People are constructing opinions off not the whole story.
“The more studies that are done, the more concrete evidence there will be.
“Sport acts as a microcosm to the rest of society, so with the patriarchal structure that exists in the rest of society, that's intensified in sport,” she added.
Rapha is controlled by an RZC Investments, owned by Tom and Steuart Walton, two of the heirs to the Walmart grocery fortune.
The retailer, founded by their grandfather Sam Walton, is based in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Rapha relocated its North American HQ in 2020 from Portland, Oregon to Bentonville, which in January hosted this year’s UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, with Walmart acting as headline sponsor to the event.
In March, the Republican governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, vetoed legislation aimed at banning gender-confirming treatments or surgery for transgender youth. His veto was subsequently overturned by the state legislature.
Tom Walton said in a statement published at the time on the website of the Walton Family Foundation that he backed the governor’s position, reports Bike Industry and Retail News, although it noted that Hutchinson had previously signed into law legislation banning transgender women and girls from competing in school sports.
“We are alarmed by the string of policy targeting LGBTQ people in Arkansas,” Walton said.
“This trend is harmful and sends the wrong message to those willing to invest in or visit our state.
“We support Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s recent veto of discriminatory policy and implore government, business and community leaders to consider the impact of existing and future policy that limits basic freedoms and does not promote inclusiveness in our communities and economy.
“Our nation was built on inalienable rights and strengthened by individual differences. Arkansas has been called the land of opportunity because it is a place where anyone can think big and achieve the extraordinary.
“Any policy that limits individual opportunity also limits our state’s potential,” he added.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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169 comments
A lot of people here are suggesting that the matter can be settled by science. But...
Scientific fact: Human males and females develop differently, resulting in different physical and psychological characteristics. For most sporting activities, in general a male will have an advantage over a female. But that does not imply that for any male and any female, the male will win a sporting activity; in other words, differences between individuals can outweigh the average advantage of a male over a female.
Claim: Certain applications of hormones can exactly counter that part of a male that can be considered the part that is the part of their average male over female advantage.
Regardless of any scientific study, I consider this claim to be utter bullshit.
I have an O level in Biology. It's outdated now because these concepts weren't on the syllabus in 1985. However one biological fact I've learned from recent discussions, as I've stated previously is that there are more horse's arses in the world than horses. No need to Google it.
For all those asking for what the scientists say, Auntie has you covered:
Transgender athletes: What do the scientists say?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/61346517
BBC - yep, saw that, I'm sure this will be the end of these threads now
Has anybody else noticed Nos stopped posting around the same time CITA came along?
No? It's almost like I was busy yesterday
your ability to generate conspiracy theories is fun. Found any proof that the trans athlete threw that race yet? Or is your libel going to stand?
Here we go again...
Thought I'd stick my head in here to see if there's any insightful comments or links to interesting science.
Nothing. Nada. Lots of mentions of science, scientists and biology, yet can't see any studies or analysis.
You'll be calling "science" a MacGuffin next.
Suggest you Google it. And remember, each sport has different characteristics so an advantage in one might not mean an advantage in another. Matt Stephens interview with Philippa York. Pippa talks about some of the issues and her own experiences.
That sounds very much to me like "do your own research" which usually goes along with a complete lack of references.
I'm out.
No. I am asking you to Google it and see the numerous articles and research done. I do not want to spoon feed you and then burp you.
You don't want to back up your argument? You're not very familiar with the field of science are you...
Articles are available for people who want to research the topic. I do not have an argument, I am asking people not to voice their opinion as facts or science.
Again judgment without fact.
Now you're talking sense...
"My position is you're all idiots. And if you disagree that proves it."
"If you disagree, you can just go Google yourself!"
Googling yourself makes you go blind, I heard.
Just don't google google!
I can't - I don't know where google is. How do I find it?
Ask Jeeves.
I'll gopher him.
Let me know when you have, reach me on FidoNet.
Finally! An evidence based opinion that I can respect.
I actually lol'd at this 😂😂😂
Oh wait - I get it. It's a parody of mansplaining. Showing how the "other" in these "debates" sees it. So most of the commentors come over as patronising. Claiming a position of authority (on behalf of others) while clearly having gone no further than their own prejudices. Failing to listen or engage. Ending up just repeating the same unchallenged "wisdom" while clearly unable to understand, never mind justify it.
There really should be some kind of symbol you could use on the internets to add some kind of expression of feeling or emotion to text and save us from needless miscommunication.
Point us towards the supporting articles then we can read them.
All I'm finding is evidence and studies that show once a person has gone through male puberty, the advantages bestowed upon that person can never be fully removed by any amount of testosterone reduction.
That's what I'm basing my opinion on. The scientific evidence and studies that I have read.
You seem to know way more about this subject than any of us do so please enlighten us. I'm actually seriously asking for you to show us these studies so that I can read them myself and I might just change my opinion if the evidence is compelling enough.
Alot of the research was carried out on untrained people and this is not a fair comparison. Suggest you read the research carried out on military personnel.
You mean the one on RAF personell?
If you know of the study then post it as I can't find one that supports testosterone reduction removing all advantages a biological male has over a biological female.
A mutiple choice question: Which of the following exercises has no advantage after hormone thearpy:
A. Push-ups
B. Sit-ups
C. Run
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