WNBA Stars Speak Out Against IOC’s Testing Policy

WNBA player Brianna Turner has expressed her disagreement with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new testing regulations intended to prevent men from competing in women’s sports. Turner emphasizes that she does not want her name associated with any efforts to exclude “trans women.”

Similarly, Layshia Clarendon of the Chicago Sky also criticized the IOC’s decision, highlighting that proving oneself to a committee is not the final hurdle to representing one’s country. She stated, “The final hurdle to representing your country is not proving to a panel of strangers that you are the woman you profess to be.”

Turner added, “Do not use the names of female athletes to target, shame, or exclude transgender women. Transgender women are women. Women with intersex variations are also women. I welcome these women, and all women, to my team.”

The article also notes that recent decisions by various sports governing bodies, such as swimming and track and field, to ban transgender athletes, along with actions from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and lawsuits involving the NCAA, are influenced by increasing political pressure and discrimination, overshadowing inclusive values and factual basis.

Turner and Cameron contend that the IOC’s earlier stance on allowing transgender athletes to compete aligns with scientific understanding, while the recent changes contradict established data. They argue that the new mandate disregards a collaborative approach and established guidelines in medicine and human rights.

“This new mandate abandons that innovative, collaborative framework, ignores established medical and human rights guidelines, and rejects the science that physical appearance, chromosomes, or individual characteristics do not determine athletic performance or success,” the article argues.

Moreover, Clarendon and Turner assert that the belief of male athletic superiority over females runs counter to their extensive basketball experience with people across genders. “In over 15 years of playing basketball, I’ve never felt an unfair advantage when playing with or against transgender individuals or those with intersex variations. We can’t choose our genetics, but we can choose our effort, how we treat others, and whether we respect all athletes’ dignity,” they stated.

They believe that the attention directed at transgender athletes is misplaced and identify issues like pay inequality as the real threats to women’s sports. Clarendon remarked, “Currently, we are scrutinizing less than 1% of NCAA athletes who are transgender—less than 40 out of more than 500,000. The documented threats to women’s sports aren’t from these individuals, but from unequal pay, rampant sexual abuse, and harassment, along with non-compliance to Title IX, which protects against discrimination in schools and educational programs receiving federal funding.”

Turner and Clarendon are also ambassadors for Athletes Ally, an organization aimed at promoting LGBTQI+ participation in sports.