31/03/2026
31 MARCH - Trans Day of Visibility
No to IOC genetic testing in women’s sport
On days like today, for TDoV (Trans Day of Visibility), we feel it is more important than ever to speak out against the IOC’s newly introduced policy on genetic testing in the female category. We see this as a serious setback for inclusive women’s sport—reviving practices that belong to more than 30 years ago.
Seitenwechsel considers the IOC policy to be scientifically unsound, ethically problematic, in violation of human rights, and ultimately harmful to all women and girls. It creates fertile ground for new forms of hatred against specific groups and fuels the spread of reactionary ideologies. We are concerned that these measures, both nationally and internationally, will contribute to legitimizing such dynamics, including through sport.
In particular, we identify the following key concerns:
- The SRY gene, which this testing seeks to detect, is not a reliable indicator of a person’s s*x
- There is no evidence linking the SRY gene to athletic performance
- Athletes required to disclose private genetic data and who receive a positive result may face further intrusive and invasive examinations
- There is a high likelihood that minors will be subjected to testing (the youngest athlete at Paris 2024 was 11 years old)
- The privacy of affected athletes cannot be fully ensured
- In many countries, laws restrict genetic testing to health-related or medical research purposes
- Grassroots sport will also be impacted, increasing scrutiny of women and girls who do not conform to stereotypical norms of femininity
- No comparable testing is imposed in the male category
: “No gender police. No going back half a Century. No Ideology over science.”
seitenwechsel
