Two transgender individuals who were born as men came first and second in a women’s cycling event in Chicago last week, prompting calls for stricter rules on such events to be implemented.
The Daily Mail reports that Tessa Johnson, 25, won first place in the Women’s SingleSpeed and Cat Half categories of the Chicago CrossCup, while Evelyn Williamson, 30, placed second in the SingleSpeed at the October 7 contest.
The pair, who are clearly biologically male, continue to dominate at women’s cycling events, with Williamson winning 18 titles in the women’s category in the past six years, and Johnson also winning several after previously competing, and failing to succeed, in men’s categories.
Rubbing it in the faces of female athletes even further, the pair compete under the team name ‘TS-ESTRODOLLS’, referring to the female hormone estrogen.
The event has previously drawn scores of women to enter, but this year only four actual women entered:
The event organisers say that they follow the rules of USA Cycling’s Transgender Athlete Participation policies, calling it “stupid” to discriminate on the basis of gender identification.
Their website states “The CCC has always been first and foremost about fostering a positive & supportive community built around competitive cyclo-cross racing, and that means welcoming and challenging everyone who wants to contribute to the series and make it better.”
It continues, “Discrimination or harassment of any kind on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, sportsball team affiliation, or any other stupid idea someone comes up with to belittle others will not be tolerated.”
So, calling for men to be banned from competing in women’s events “will not be tolerated.”
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