Transgender cyclist Austin Killips spoke out against a new policy on social media on Sunday that bans her from competing in women's races.
"From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in women's events on the UCI International Calendar – in all categories – in the various disciplines," the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) wrote in a press release on Friday. "The new rules will come into force on 17 July 2023. They may change in the future as scientific knowledge evolves."
Following the announcement from the UCI, which oversees international competitive cycling events, Killips, 27, took to Instagram and wrote she was "devastated by the UCI's decision to renege on the policy and framework they previously set out for inclusion."
Killips added: "My journey in professional racing has allowed me to see the world, build lifelong friendships, and most importantly give my absolute all to something I find deeply fulfilling. No one should be denied the opportunity to chase the same joy that I and others have found through racing."
Newsweek reached out to the UCI via email on Monday for comment.
In June, Killips won a Belgian Waffle Ride race in North Carolina, defeating Paige Onweller. Killips' victory made her the first openly transgender woman cyclist to win an official UCI event, the New York Post reported.
"In the future, I feel a separate category is appropriate but event promoters are also learning what is best to preserve both female cycling while also creating an inclusive space for all to ride," Onweller said about competing against a transgender woman shortly after losing the race, Cyclingnews reported.
After Killips won a Tour of the Gila stage race in New Mexico a month prior in May, American cyclist Inga Thompson criticized the UCI rule that allows transgender women to compete in the female category of racing, prompting the governing body to issue a statement at the time.
"The UCI acknowledges that transgender athletes may wish to compete in accordance with their gender identity," the UCI said, according to NBC News. "The UCI rules are based on the latest scientific knowledge and have been applied in a consistent manner. The UCI continues to follow the evolution of scientific findings and may change its rules in the future as scientific knowledge evolves."
In its Friday announcement, UCI President David Lappartient stressed that cycling, as a sport, leisurely activity or method of transportation, remains open to all, "including transgender people," adding that the agency will continue to support transgender people.
"However, it has a duty to guarantee, above all, equal opportunities for all competitors in cycling competitions," Lappartient said. "It is this imperative that led the UCI to conclude that, given the current state of scientific knowledge does not guarantee such equality of opportunity between transgender female athletes and cisgender female participants, it was not possible, as a precautionary measure, to authorize the former to race in the female categories."
Last Monday, Monuments of Cycling, which owns the Belgian Waffle Ride, announced a policy change allowing only individuals assigned female at birth to compete in the women's category.
"In keeping with our values and in response to feedback that we recently received from some cyclists after our most recent North Carolina race, we announced last Friday updates to our racing classification policies," Michael Marckx, founder of Monuments of Cycling, previously told Newsweek in a statement.
Transgender rights is an issue that is proving deeply polarizing in the United States. A survey by the Pew Research Center last year found that 38 percent of Americans believe society had gone too far in accepting transgender people, while 36 percent said it had not gone far enough.
