A veteran female cyclist has raised concerns regarding USA Cycling after the organization reportedly did not inform participants about the inclusion of transgender athletes in a recent race. Competitor Debbie Milne expressed her frustration on “Fox and Friends,” stating, “It was hidden from us.”
Milne, who placed seventh at the Lions Masters National Championship in Wisconsin, shared that she and her fellow cyclists typically check a list of registered athletes before the race to gauge the competition. However, she didn’t see the name of her transgender competitor, Kate “KJ” Phillips, at all. “I checked right until the cutoff point when I couldn’t sign up online anymore, and KJ’s name wasn’t there,” Milne explained.
Phillips ended up finishing first in the race, but the situation caused second-place finisher Julie Peterson to refuse her position on the podium as a form of protest. Milne described Peterson’s choice as “difficult” but agreed with it, reflecting on her own experiences in sports.
“We respect sports,” Milne mentioned, expressing that both athletes felt marginalized by the unforeseen inclusion of a trans competitor after years of dedication to cycling. “It’s really hard to do something so important. It’s disrespectful,” she added, noting the apparent lack of transparency from race organizers.
Neither Milne nor Peterson believes the omission of Phillips’ name was accidental, suggesting it represented a sort of “deceit.” Milne later learned that Phillips had been registered since mid-June. She felt that had she known, she might have reconsidered her participation or even the expense of traveling more than 400 miles to compete.
Milne criticized the US Cycling Transgender Athlete Guidelines, noting that while trans women are allowed to race in women’s categories under specific conditions, this policy seems quite different from that of the Union Cyclists International (UCI), which restricts transgender women from participating in women’s events.
Overall, the situation highlights ongoing discussions about fairness and transparency in sports, particularly regarding the participation of transgender athletes.
