Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), along with more than a dozen other Republicans, signed off on the letter to the IOC.
“Future Olympians are counting on the IOC to protect the opportunities of women and girls to contribute to this proud tradition,” the lawmakers wrote. “To do so, the IOC must base eligibility for women’s athletic competitions on biological sex. Allowing biological males to compete in women’s categories undermines competitive opportunities, safety, and respect for female athletes.”
The Olympics have allowed transgender athletes to compete since 2004, though the first year a transgender athlete competed was 2021. Under the 2004 consensus, individuals who have undergone sex reassignment surgery are allowed to compete among the gender they’ve transitioned to.
The letter comes ahead of the IOC’s March 17 meeting, the agenda of…
