Transgender cyclist Austin Killips takes shot at 'cabal of right wingers'

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Transgender cyclist Austin Killips is no fan of new rules which will keep her from competing against females – and let the people in charge know exactly how she feels about.

Killips sparked a firestorm of controversy when she, as a trans female, won the Belgian Waffle Ride in North Carolina last month, beating the second-place finisher by around four minutes.

Afterwards, the event’s organizers, as well as Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), changed its policies regarding trans athletes.

“I am devastated by the UCI’s decision to renege on the policy and framework they previously set out for inclusion. My journey in professional racing has allowed me to see the world, build lifelong friendships, and most importantly give my absolute all to something I find deeply fulfilling. No one should be denied the opportunity to chase the same joy that I and others have found through racing.”

On SubStack, Killips went further, blaming the “cabal of right wingers” who took issue with trans females pushing for inclusion in women’s sports.

“I guess what complicates all of this is the sense that it is fallout from something I did,” Killips wrote. “Surely if it wasn’t me someone else would have become the scapegoat but the unfortunate matter is that I’m one of the figures that pushed the limits of inclusion for this particular moment and a cabal of right wingers who want nothing but the worst for the world were able to successfully weaponize it.

“Ten years earlier or ten years down the road who’s to say what happens. But circumstance is such that I am close to the center of a fight that is much bigger than me or any of my previous aspirations. I hope to right the injustice that has been incurred in response to my success in the sport. Other people fought tirelessly to make the last several years of my life possible, it would be unconscionable to not agitate for the next person who wants to give their all to racing bikes.

“We have to fight for what is right knowing that it’s for the good of others and not our own lots in life. I do not need to line up at a World Cup again but I won’t be able to sleep at night if I’m not fighting for the next woman who deserves a shot at everything this sport has given me.”

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) altered its policy on Friday, prohibiting any trans cyclist from competing in women’s events if they “transitioned after (male) puberty.” Instead, the UCI said those who transitioned after male puberty would have to compete in an open category or in the male category.

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