PRiDE OUT founder Richard Hearne: British Cycling trans policy backtrack very unfair | Cycling News

“Since January, it was clear trans and non-binary people could participate in cycling. But at the last minute, they seemed to ditch that policy. It has created confusion, anxiety and stress amongst parts of the cycling community. And it’s just very unfair in my opinion” – Richard Hearne

PRiDE OUT founder Richard Hearne has labelled British Cycling’s backtracking over their agreed and published trans and non-binary inclusion policy “very unfair”.

Having twice (October 2020, January 2022) published participation inclusion requirements, requiring riders to have had testosterone levels below five nanomoles per litre for a 12-month period prior to competition, British Cycling then abruptly suspended such policies, announcing a ‘full review’ would take place in the coming weeks.

The suspension came in the aftermath of Emily Bridges’s failed attempt to enter a women’s event at the British National Omnium Championships.

Richard Hearne, founder of LGBT+ cycle group PRiDE OUT has called British Cycling’s actions ‘very unfair’

Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News on Wednesday, PRiDE OUT – an LGBT+ cycle group in Manchester – founder and chairperson Hearne outlined what had gone on.

“So this all started back in October 2020 when British Cycling released their first trans and non-binary inclusion participation policy,” he said.

“That was further reviewed last year, and after an eight-month consultation, it was released again in January of this year.

“I’m not trans, I’m a gay man and a trans ally, and as far as I’m concerned the policy was viewed as a positive thing by the trans and non-binary community.

“Over the last 18 months there’s been two policies by British Cycling, but at the last minute, two days before a race in March/April time, it was pulled by the board of directors at British Cycling.

“Ultimately, trans and non-binary people are a very small percentage of the population, and the IOC [International Olympic Committee] have done 20 years of scientific studies into trans inclusion, and they have a policy that has been adopted by other governing bodies.

“The UCI [Union Cycliste Internationale] have a policy on trans inclusion that British Cycling were aligning with.

“That was in place over the last few months. Since January, it was clear trans and non-binary people could participate in cycling, so long as their testosterone levels were suppressed to a certain level.

“But at the last minute they seemed to ditch that policy, which begs the question: Why?

“It has really created a lot of confusion, anxiety and stress amongst certain parts of the cycling community.

“And it’s just very, very unfair in my opinion.”

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Asked what he would like to see happen next, Hearne called for British Cycling to re-instate their previously agreed policy.

“Well we’re calling for the policy that British Cycling first announced in October 2020, and then was reviewed and released again in January 2022, to be reinstated,” Hearne added.

“And to align with the UCI’s policy on trans and non-binary inclusion in cycling.”

Sky Sports News has contacted British Cycling for comment.