Veteran female cyclists are criticizing USA Cycling for allegedly concealing the participation of a transgender athlete, Kate ‘KJ’ Phillips, in a recent race. Competitors like Debbie Milne and Julie Peterson claim they were unaware of Phillips’ involvement until after the race, leading to accusations of deception. Peterson declined to stand on her second-place podium in protest, while Milne criticized the lack of transparency in USA Cycling’s transgender athlete guidelines.
Phillips went on to win first place in the race, while Peterson chose to decline standing during the awards ceremony in protest. Milne called Peterson’s decision ‘difficult’ but expressed support for it, stating she would have made the same choice. ‘She’s a class athlete. We respect our sport,’ Milne said, explaining that both athletes felt disrespected by the lack of transparency from race organizers after decades devoted to the sport.
Milne argued that the omission of Phillips’ name was not accidental, calling the incident ‘deception.’ She noted that Peterson later confirmed Phillips had been registered since mid-June, long before the online list closed. The cyclist added that, had she known, she might have reconsidered spending hundreds of dollars and traveling over 400 miles to compete. Milne decried a lack of fairness in USA Cycling’s guidelines for transgender athletes, particularly in how they allow transgender women to compete in female divisions under specific conditions.
USA Cycling currently permits transgender women to race in female divisions but requires a signed declaration affirming their female identity and meeting fairness criteria set by the Elite Athlete Fairness Evaluation Process. In contrast, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body for cycling, has a policy restricting transgender women from competing in female-designated events. The UCI’s approach, which emphasizes preventing unfair advantages, stands in stark contrast to USA Cycling’s more inclusive but controversial stance.
These tensions highlight the broader debate over gender identity in sports, with athletes and organizations grappling with balancing inclusivity and fairness. As the controversy unfolds, the cycling community faces difficult questions about how to address the growing presence of transgender athletes in traditionally female-dominated events.