FIFA, the world’s largest soccer association and the organization behind the World Cup, is considering a plan that would drop the measurement of testosterone among biological men who identify as women to participate in women’s soccer.
The association’s current eligibility standard for biological men who identify as female requires less than five nanomoles per liter after at least 12 months, The Daily Mail reported.
“The new regulations are still at the consultation stage and it is understood that some members of FIFA’s senior management are unconvinced that they should be published in their current form,” the outlet noted on Sunday.
Women’s rights activist Julie Scott took to Twitter to blast the proposed change.
“If this goes through, it’ll kill women’s football. How can they claim this would ‘balance fairness & inclusion’? It’s the opposite of that,” Scott wrote.
‘FIFA have drawn up new regulations that make it easier for (trans identifying males) to compete in women’s football.’
If this goes through, it’ll kill women’s football. How can they claim this would ‘balance fairness & inclusion’? It’s the opposite of that 🤬#SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/7Lwwp0N6DP
— Julie Scott 🍒 (@judgejules75) June 19, 2022
The report comes as the cycling tour organization UCI strengthened the requirements for biological males to participate in female cycling following the case of transgender cyclist Emily Bridges.
During a May interview, Bridges told DIVA magazine it was wrong to claim that biological men who identify as women hold physical advantages after hormone therapy.
“I understand how you’d come to this conclusion because a lot of people still view trans women as men with male anatomies and physiologies,” Bridges said.
“But hormone replacement therapy has such a massive effect. The aerobic performance difference is gone after about four months.
The UCI lowered the testosterone limit from five to 2.5 nanomoles per liter and now requires two years within the new range instead of one year.
Bridges was stopped from competing in the British National Omnium Championships in March following threats of boycotts from other cyclists.
In the U.S., controversy regarding biological males competing in women’s sports has grown following University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas competing on the women’s team despite being a biological male and competing in previous seasons on the men’s team.
Thomas dominated meets throughout the season, including a win at the NCAA women’s swimming championships in Atlanta.
A fellow swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania team anonymously spoke to The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh for his highly anticipated documentary, “What Is a Woman?”
“There was a lot of things we couldn’t talk about that was concerning,” the swimmer told Walsh.
“If you even brought up concerns about it, you were ‘transphobic,’” she told Walsh.
“If you even bring up the fact that Lia’s swimming might not be fair, you’re immediately shut down and called a hateful person, or transphobic,” she continued.