The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has shut down all of the transphobic haters by backing Olympics bound Laurel Hubbard.
Hubbard made LGBTQ+ history when she joined the New Zealand Olympic team in the women’s super-heavyweight 87+kg category. Shortly after her groundbreaking qualification, spectators criticised the results.
Thomas Bach, the president of IOC, released a statement to Reuters in support of the 43-year-old athlete.
“The rules for qualification have been established by the International Weightlifting Federation before the qualifications started. These rules apply and you cannot change the rules during ongoing competitions,” he said.
However, Bach went on to say that the guidelines will be reviewed which may result in new rules for future games.
“At the same time the IOC is in an inquiry phase with all different stakeholders… to review these rules and finally to come up with some guidelines which cannot be rules because this is a question where there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” he stated.
The current IOC guidelines, which were created in November 2015, allow athletes who have transitioned from male to female to compete without the need for surgery if their testosterone levels are low.
In this case, testosterone levels must be kept below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months.
Bach’s comments come nearly a week after a group, titled Defend Women’s Sport, created a petition calling to disqualify Hubbard.
The transphobic document has received close to 40,000 signatures.
In regards to Bach’s personal feelings on Hubbard’s participation, the IOC president referred back to the importance of the rules.
“The rules are in place and the rules have to be applied and you cannot change the rules during an ongoing qualification system,” he explained.
“This is what all the athletes of the world are relying on: that the rules are being applied.”
Related: Laurel Hubbard will be first trans athlete to compete in Olympics
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