In a press release from Las Vegas, a council on women’s sports says it wants biological males out of U.S. rowing competition. .The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) said it is seeking justice for female rowing athletes..“USRowing policies continue to erase hard-fought gains for fairness in women’s sports by allowing biological males to compete in all categories for women and girls,” the release read..ICONS said it was “deeply concerned” about the proposed USRowing Transgender and Gender Diverse Athlete Participation Policy. The policy, like the current one implemented in 2016, allows for male-to-female transgenders to compete..Marshi Smith, an NCAA swimming champion and co-founder of ICONS, said the policy perpetuates unjust competition for female rowers and diminishes their value and opportunities..“We urge the USRowing Board to overhaul their policy to keep opportunity in competition equal between males and females,” said Smith..“Sadly, many don’t realize without making the women and girls category exclusive to females, as USRowing has failed to do, they are overtly discriminating against their female athletes,” said Smith..The announcement comes just before the world’s largest three-day rowing competition, the Head of the Charles Regatta, which begins Oct. 21 in Boston..Here, biological males self-identifying as females can be among the 11,000 competitors in 61 events. Smith said this violates the 2022 “Rules of Rowing” guidelines from USRowing, which address fairness and explicitly state, “All rowers competing at a regatta shall at all times ... compete fairly.”.The proposed USRowing policy mirrors the recently adopted transgender policy of British Rowing, which was met with strong public outcry. British Rowing Chair Mark Davies, who opposed its own new transgender policy, said it brought British Rowing “in line with World Rowing” by permitting biological males who self-identify as women to compete in the women’s category..To support his appeal, Davies cited a recent scientific study demonstrating yet again testosterone suppression does not eliminate the male advantage in muscle mass, grip strength, or VO2 max, even after 14 years of hormonal suppression..“In sports, fairness must take precedence,” said Dr. Mary O’Connor, head of ICONS Rowing and a former US Olympic team rower. .“We want all individuals to be able to compete. Eligibility must be based on biology, namely sex. We have categories for age and weight also based on biology to ensure a level playing field. We must not create categories based on identities such as race, ethnicity, religion, or gender identification.” .A champion of fair competition, O’Connor was a member of Yale University’s 1976 women’s rowing team which protested sports inequalities and was at the forefront of the Title IX movement to fight sex discrimination in college athletics..As the USRowing Board of Directors continues to review its transgender policy, ICONS is urging USRowing to follow Davies’ plea to World Rowing, and protect the women’s category for biological female athletes..In its release, ICONS said it is “supported by world-class athletes, parents, internationally renowned scientists, doctors and health care experts, as well as lawyers, advocacy groups, and women’s organizations.”.An ICONS rowing petition on the organization’s website calls for restrictions on “eligibility for the women’s/girl’s categories to participants born female.” .The petition adds, “We support trans and non-conforming athletes, as we do all athletes, in their pursuit of excellence both in and out of sport. We support utilizing an open/men’s division to meet the needs of trans and non-conforming athletes seeking fair competition in sport.”
