Biological male transgender cyclist Emily Bridges said in an interview this week that there is "no advantage" for biological males competing against biological females.
Bridges reportedly made the remarks in an interview with United Kingdom-based LGBTQ+ publication Diva Magazine.
#DIVAEXCLUSIVE ???????????? In our #Pride issue DIVA publisher @LindaRiley8 interviews our inspiring cover ??, cyclist Emily Bridges, about trans inclusion in sport, her coming out journey and being banned from the British National Omnium Championships
— DIVA Magazine (@DIVAmagazine) May 20, 2022
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Bridges said in the interview that "hormone replacement therapy" has a "massive" impact on how an individual performs in sports.
“There are studies going on for trans women in sport. I’m doing one and the performance drop-off that I’ve seen is massive," Bridges claimed in the interview. "I don’t have any advantage over my competitors and I’ve got data to back that up."
Townhall reported how Bridges was prohibited from competing in a women's race, the British National Omnium Championship, hosted by Union Cycliste International (UCI), the governing body of the sport. There were reports that female competitors were going to boycott the race. Bridges issued a statement shortly after. British Cycling then suspended all transgender athletes from competing until further notice.
In an interview, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, without naming Bridges, said that biological male transgender athletes should not be included in women's sports.
"I don't think that biological males should be competing in female sporting events. And maybe that's a controversial thing ... but it just seems to me to be sensible," Johnson said during an interview during a visit to a hospital.
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"And I also happen to think that women should have spaces, whether it's in hospitals or prisons or changing rooms or wherever, which are dedicated to women. That's as far as my thinking has developed on this issue. If that puts me in conflict with some others, then we have got to work it all out," Johnson added.
Townhall covered how biological male swimmer Will "Lia" Thomas said in an interview with Sports Illustrated this year that "I'm a woman" and "I belong on the women's team." Thomas was at the center of controversy for months for competing on the women's swim team at University of Pennsylvania, and winning, after competing on the men's swim team at UPenn for three years. Several teammates have come forward on the condition of anonymity saying that Thomas boasts about breaking women's records and creates an uncomfortable environment in the locker room.
Since then, lawmakers in several states, including Pennsylvania, Iowa, Arizona and South Carolina have created legislation barring biological males from competing in women's sports.
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