Rio Olympics 2016: Transgender Bruce Jenner Wouldn't Win Gold in 1976 as Female
Since the exclusive two-hour interview with ABC News' Dianne Sawyer, the world have come to know that Bruce Jenner identifies as a woman. Jenner is a gold medal decathlon champion during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. If Jenner came out as a transgender then, would it have affected him as an Olympian?
According to Bustle.com, it would have been highly unlikely for Jenner to win gold as a transgender female during that time since it was only during 2004 that transgender individuals were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games under a set of rules.
Now that the Rio 2016 Olympics is just around the corner, what does this mean for transathletes who are competing? They must adhere by the policies of the International Olympic Community.
It is required by the International Olympic Community that transgender individuals who wish to join the games have already completed sex reassignment surgery, legally changed to their preferred gender, and have at least two years of hormone therapy, according to CNN. This is now known as the Stockholm consensus and refers to the report by a committee in 2003 regarding transgender policies.
In Jenner's interview, he made it clear that he is not gay and that gender identity and sexuality are not the same thing. It may draw confusion for some but with regard to competing for the Games, this means that transgender athletes will all have individual investigations.
"It is understood that a confidential case-by-case evaluation will occur. In the event that the gender of a competing athlete is questioned, the medical delegate (or equivalent) of the relevant sporting body shall have the authority to take all appropriate measures for the determination of the gender of a competitor," the report published in Olympic.org said.
The IOC told the Bustle in a statement:
"The IOC guidelines on hyperandrogenism have been designed as a guide for National Olympic Committees (NOC) and International Federations (IF), which have been asked to adopt them and adapt them to their own organisations/sports. Should a case occur during the Olympic Games, it will be the IOC Medical Commission that will conduct an investigation into any particular case based on the latest state-of-the-art procedures with relevant experts and in close cooperation with the NOC and IF concerned.
The guidelines have evolved over time. They are systematically reviewed and amended if necessary to ensure that they take into account any new developments and research in that area."