Transgender Athletes Set Their Eyes on 2020 Olympics

In 2016, the American transgender community became the subject of a fierce national debate, one centered specifically on bathrooms.

In the world of international athletics, however, a different debate is taking place: which sports transgender competitors should be allowed to compete in, and whether or not they would have an “unfair advantage” in events like the Olympics.

As NBC News notes, one such athlete embroiled in that debate is 32-year-old transgender woman Tia Thompson, who — after years in the men's division — became a part of the women's USA Volleyball division in January.

For the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it's a question that's already been answered.

As The Washington Post reports, the IOC announced updates to its guidelines — which are more like suggestions for the international community than rules — back in January 2016:

Now, surgery will no longer be required, with female-to-male transgender athletes eligible to take part in men’s competitions “without restriction.”

Meanwhile, male-to-female transgender athletes will need to demonstrate that their testosterone level has been below a certain cutoff point for at least one year before their first competition.

In fact, the same guidelines already came under scrutiny during the 2016 Rio Olympics, when South African transgender runner Caster Semenya claimed a gold medal, sparking notable controversy:

For USA Volleyball's Thompson, however, the debate may just be beginning.

Later this month, Thompson's presence in the popular, international Haili Volleyball Tournament will mark the first time an openly transgender athlete will compete there.

It seems it's a milestone that's cause for concern for some fans and fellow athletes alike, who have argued, KHNL reported, “that inclusion of Thompson would result in an unfair level of competition for non-transgender women.”

It isn't just the U.S. dealing with such questions, though.

Read the full story on IJR.com

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