World Athletics Council bans transgender athletes from events

“The Council has agreed to exclude male to female transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from female world ranking competitions from March 31 this year.”

That was the World Athletics Council announcing a ban on transgender women from female events in all international track and field competitions.

The council also tightened testosterone restrictions for athletes with “differences in sex development” — or d-s-d. This would affect athletes like two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya — who is believed to have an intersex condition that causes her body to produce testosterone at a higher rate than in most women.

“So none of these athletes will be eligible to compete in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. They will be eligible to compete in other events after that six month period, including the Paris Olympic Games next year if and only if they maintain their testosterone at the required level.”

The transgender ban follows a similar decision made by World Aquatics — which oversees water sports — last year.

It also comes the same day The Washington Post released the results of a poll asking more than 500 trans Americans about their experience.

According to the poll — 66 percent of respondents said they were younger than 18 when they began to understand that their gender was different from their sex assigned at birth.

32 percent were 10 years old or younger.

64 percent said they have been verbally attacked because of their gender identity.

A quarter said they have been physically attacked.

Despite this — 78 percent of trans adults said living as a gender different from the one assigned to them at birth has made them more satisfied with their lives.

More than 200 bills regarding transgender rights have been introduced across the country since January.

This includes bans on access to gender-affirming care — limits to what children can learn about transgender identity in schools — and bans on trans athletes.