My name is Sorcha, and for a large part of my life I was an Elite athlete,

I was introduced to the concept of HRT in sport in my teens when I was diagnosed as Intersex.
Prescribing me Testosterone would not have been a problem for anyone in the sport, because just like the fact that Lionel Messi was prescribed HGH, the issue is not with the medication, or the perceived advantages, the issue is with maintaining the capitalist Male / Female binary.

I am going to concentrate on Trans women today, because sporting NGBs are focussed on protecting women’s sports, especially white women in sport.
There is a long history of excluding people from sports because they’re different. Seventy years ago Black people were excluded from sports for that same reason.
This growing trend of drawing a line in the sand based on sex and binary expectations is not only racist in its origins, but it stands to exacerbate the hurt and exclusion already experienced by Trans adults and children while also hurting many of the cisgender women and girls it purports to protect.

Policies that impact trans women’s participation in elite sport are the continuation of a long history of exclusion of women from competitive sport – an exclusion that resulted in the introduction of a ‘women’s’ category of sport in the first place.
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The Olympic motto of ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together’ recognises the unifying power of sport and the importance of solidarity.
However when Lord Coe announced that Track & Field trans women would no longer be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, he was asked how many current athletes that affected, he replied ’none’.
In the multiple Olympic Games that trans women were eligible to compete not a single medal has been won in an individual sport.

It is often argued that allowing trans women to compete deprives a cis female from that opportunity, it was once the same argument for those changing nationality or as refugees fleeing oppression to a safe country.

It is a myth that trans women dominate (win) all sports. The fact that several trans women have been the subject of media coverage is used to argue that there are frequent and massive occurrences of trans women athletes winning sport competitions when, in fact, the opposite is true. We can reliably conclude trans women are systematically underrepresented in elite sport both in terms of participation and results. Far Right organizations use sports as a strategy because preconceived ideas about trans individuals can spread quickly through sport. Sports are used as a strategy because it emulates strong debate. This allows them to quickly spread their agenda as their target does not look at how the science they used is constructed.
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The use of testosterone to exclude trans women represents another phase in the history of policing women’s bodies.
Many studies employ a false biological equivalency between the role of testosterone in doping to the role of testosterone among trans populations, including trans women.
Once women were allowed into competitive sport in the early 20th century, those whose athletic ability was on par with their male counterparts, or whose physique was too manly, were disqualified from competition as deviants of the gender order.
Through the history of women’s sport, female athletes have been exposed to intrusive gender verification processes including inspection of genitalia and chromosome testing. Producing many false positives and had catastrophic impacts on women’s lives and careers.
The current climate is one that focuses on testosterone levels of those athletes whose gender is deemed to be ‘suspicious.’

Almost no studies examining the effects of testosterone suppression on trans women do so among trained athletes;
Most studies on the effects of testosterone on sport performance involve examination of individuals who use performance-enhancing drugs.
Available evidence indicates trans women who have undergone testosterone suppression have no clear biological advantages over cis women in elite sport.
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The arguments based on bone density derive from systematically racist arguments first introduced in the 1920’s .Black women and women of color have higher bone density than white men. This removes any potential for bone density to be considered a factor for unfairness in trans athletes.
Lung size is also commonly attributed as performance enhancing; however, it is never adjusted for height (taller individuals naturally have larger lungs on average)

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A myth often perpetuated through sport is that trans women are akin to cis men.
Biomedical studies that inform trans sport policies have cis men as a proxy to trans women, and use terms like “biological male” or “transitioning males”.
In other words, trans women are assimilated to cis men.
The debate is framed not with the concern of trans women’s participation in sport, but with the supposed place of a man in the women’s category even though trans women’s bodies and living conditions are not comparable to cis men’s.
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Trans women are often assimilated to the stereotype of the cheater who would enter women’s competitions with the sole aim of exploiting a space reserved for women  – another myth with deep impacts.
This fear is unsubstantiated and completely ignores the material living conditions of trans women and the conditions in which women participate in sport.
Trans women’s status as trans, is often utterly misunderstood in sport discourse as a deliberate choice rather than a necessity for an individual’s survival.
These kinds of presumptions and misunderstandings play into the same transphobic fears that cis men choose to transition solely to gain advantage in elite sports.
However, the discrimination and violence experienced by cis and trans women in sport and everyday life expose the dangerous dismissive attitudes towards trans identities as well as some of the contradictions, ignorance, and violence imposed in requiring trans women to adhere to specific transition guidelines in order to participate in sport competition.
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Trans women are not a monolith. Racism, classism, ableism, and overlapping systems of oppression must be addressed for trans women to be able to participate in sport.

It is likely that sports are to become safer and fairer for only some women and girls, those that adhere to western binary notions of femininity, and excluding those that don’t.

Excluding women who are trans hurts all women. It invites gender policing that could subject any woman to invasive tests or accusations of being “too masculine” or “too good” to be a “real” woman.
Trans women’s rights are women’s rights. We need to treat them just like every other girl and woman, and that includes in sports.

About Us:

Where Are We Based? Our members are spread out all across Ireland. This is unusual, as most cycling clubs are based on people starting rides from their local area. We were founded in Adamstown in Dublin, but we now have activities across the city. Arcane Cycling Team are registered in Naas County Kildare.

OUR VIBE: It’s chill, fun, friendly and supportive. There’s no pressure to race but lots of encouragement if you’re up for it. We’re welcoming to new joiners and we’ll give you as much advice and info as we can, whatever you want to try. Plus, plenty of fun to be had in our skills sessions.Our unique club environment is a welcome change, for our members, from the traditions and rules of what has been a male-dominated sport.

We acknowledge that cycling can be an elitist sport, and we’re doing what we can to change that, and improve representation for minority groups. We have a diversity and inclusion group who are dedicated to ensuring the club is accessible for women and non-binary people of colour, trans women and non-binary people.

WHERE WE STARTED: Arcane CT was founded in 2012 as a very successful Elite Road & Track racing team. In 2016 we reformed as a club with a focus on Elite Women’s Cycling.

In 2025 we relaunched open to all women and non-binary people of colour, trans women and non-binary people, with more focus on participation over the Road & Track cycling disciplines. 

We are now completely member-run, with a small committee to make decisions and organise all the stuff we do. We’re always evolving.