The world’s top chess federation has ruled that transgender women cannot compete in female events until an assessment of gender change is made by federation officials. The Swiss-based FIDE said it has received requests from an increasing number of players who identify as transgender.
“Change of gender is a change that has a significant impact on a player’s status and future eligibility to tournaments, therefore it can only be made if there is a relevant proof of the change provided,” the federation said in its ruling. “In the event that the gender was changed from a male to a female the player has no right to participate in official FIDE events for women until further FIDE’s decision is made.”
The federation said holders of women’s titles who change their genders to male would see those titles abolished. Those titles could be reinstated “if the person changes the gender back to a woman.”
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The chess federation ruling on transgender women competing in female events comes as female athletes are expressing dismay at a new Canadian powerlifting record set by a biological male.
Anne Andres’ score at a meet on Sunday, Aug. 13, was 400 pounds higher than her closest competitor. Andres has also been caught on video in the past making fun of her fellow competitors who are biological women.
“Why is women’s bench so bad? I mean not compared to me, we all know that I’m a tranny freak, so that doesn’t count,” Andres said in the video. “And no, we’re not talking about Mackenzie Lee, she’s got little T-rex arms and she’s like 400 pounds of chest muscle apparently. I mean, standard bench in powerlifting competition for women, I literally don’t understand why it’s so bad.”
Fellow Canadian powerlifter April Hutchinson said Andres’ shattered record also shattered the dreams of hundreds of other athletes.
“Any woman, man or federation that supports men lifting or competing with women is part of the problem and they should be ashamed and they are literally helping erase women’s sports,” Hutchinson said.
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