InterAction: IOC reneges on human rights commitments to women athletes, including women with intersex variations
Michael Barnett OAM
IOC reneges on human rights commitments to women athletes, including women with intersex variations
Together with our partners Equality Australia, Pride Cup and others, we have collaborated on a joint Position Statement on participation by women with innate variations of sex characteristics (intersex variations/differences of sex development) in sport.
The Statement responds to new eligibility rules for female classification published by the International Olympic Committee. The new rules are the outcome of a non-transparent process likely influenced by the Trump administration.
While the rules are mainly intended to impact transgender women, the language used by the IOC and World Athletics has a very deliberate impact on women with innate variations of sex characteristics. The rules mean that some women registered female at birth will face increased risks of harm, coercive practices, stigmatisation, and disregard for their lifelong legal status.
The new rules target many women with intersex variations, but their publication and implementation affect all people with intersex variations as they make it harder for us to explain who we are and the social and health issues we face. Media outlets are illustrating stories about trans women with photos of cisgender women athletes.
We've seen this before, and we know that social media is likely to be difficult place to be over coming days. Please take care of yourselves. We're doing our best to both be clear about the impacts of these regulations, and also act in solidarity with others who are impacted.
Read the Position Statement
Read a joint media release
Read a joint press release by Pride Cup, in collaboration with us, Equality Australia, ACON, and Nikki Dryden OLY.