KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the governing body for international cycling, changed the rules for transgender participation in its international events, Friday.
"From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in women's events on the UCI International Calendar - in all categories - in the various disciplines," a release said.
Dahron Johnson, who is also part of the Tennessee Equality Project, was certified by USA Cycling to participate in events. She is transgender and is considered an elite athlete by the sport.
"On any given day, on any given place, our right to exist, our right to participate in the public sphere, to get the healthcare we need, to go to the bathroom when we need to, to be able to toe the starting line has been made contingent on other folks' opinions," Johnson said.
Previously, the UCI allowed athletes to participate if they had gender-affirming hormone therapy with a testosterone concentration below 2.5 nmol/L.
"If anything, the other athletes in the field are much more likely to be higher than that number than the trans female athletes are," Johnson said.
The UCI relied on a study, which said it "does not confirm" testosterone concentration below that number is "sufficient to completely eliminate the benefits of testosterone during puberty in men."
Johnson said the UCI shouldn't base its rules on an inconclusive study.
Rep. Jason Zachary (R - Knoxville) and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs previously protested the participation of transgender athletes at the USA Cycling event in Knoxville at the end of June.
"Biological men should never be allowed to compete against women," Zachary said in a text message to 10News. "It is unfair and unsafe. The UCI has finally made the common sense decision to ban guys from competing against women. People around the country engaged on behalf of fair competition in women's sports and it made a difference."
Johnson said politics, not science, drove the decision.
"All we want to do is participate in the activities of daily life, including sports, like everyone else," Johnson said.
The UCI said the men's category of competition will be renamed "Men/Open," for anybody to participate. Johnson said she cannot compete with men, because of her gender-affirming care.