CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Athletes who have undergone sex-change operations will be eligible to compete in the Olympics for the first time under new rules being finalized by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC convened a meeting in Sweden last month of medical experts in the field and will announce its policy in the next few weeks. "We will have no discrimination," IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch told the Associated Press last week. "The IOC will respect human rights." Details are still being worked out, but Schamasch said transsexual athletes will be eligible for the Olympics once they have passed a certain amount of time after sex-change surgery. "The trend is to have an ineligibility period," he said. "Then, after certain conditions have been fulfilled, the athlete will be able to compete in his or her new sex." The exact length of the waiting period has not been determined. Schamasch said officials want to make sure that any side effects of hormone therapy have worn off. Schamasch said he didn't know whether there were any transsexual athletes in line to compete in next summer's Athens Olympics, but he noted that several international sports federations have asked the IOC for guidance. "We need to be proactive," he said. The rule covers both male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals. Some contend male-to-female transsexual athletes have a physical advantage against other women. Men have higher levels of testosterone and greater muscle-to-fat ratio and heart and lung capacity. However, doctors say, testosterone levels and muscle mass drop after hormone therapy and sex-change surgery. Until 1999 the IOC conducted gender verification tests at the Olympics, but the controversial screenings were dropped before the 2000 Sydney Games. One reason for the change was that not all women have standard female chromosomes. In addition, there are cases of people who have ambiguous genitalia or other congenital conditions. Over the decades, there have been various accusations of men impersonating women and competing in the Olympics. "The eligibility of transsexuals to participate needs to be clarified and dealt with," said Arne Ljungqvist, the IOC medical commission chairman who organized the meeting of experts in Stockholm.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
'Florida has a First Amendment problem' — judge rules trans teacher can use 'Ms.'
April 10 2024 6:33 PM
Here's why soccer fans are booing USWNT player Korbin Albert
April 10 2024 6:26 PM
Trans and nonbinary migrants file complaint over treatment at ICE detention facility
April 10 2024 6:00 PM
X likely profited from promoted post calling for LGBTQ+ death penalty
April 10 2024 3:11 PM
Giselle Byrd is taking center stage — and helping others do the same
April 10 2024 2:15 PM
How Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter advances equality
April 10 2024 1:39 PM
The North Face faces conservative boycott for sponsoring a queer summer camp (exclusive)
April 10 2024 8:26 AM