Former Olympian turned Fox News commentator Caitlyn Jenner has said trans women are not “real women” and called for chromosome testing to be brought back in sports. Since coming out publicly as trans in 2015, Jenner, 74, has courted controversy for her views on the trans community.
Jenner – who won the decathlon gold at the 1976 summer Olympics in Montreal – has been vocal in backing restrictions on trans athletes competing in women’s sports, criticised “woke culture” and decried the “radical rainbow mafia” – whatever that is. Discussing the topic of trans athletes, Jenner and ex-Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who also campaigns against trans inclusion in sports, came together for an inclusive feature in The Telegraph.
The pair reminisced about their Olympic careers and recalled the mandatory sex tests they had to undertake to compete. “I have a little card from ’76 that was a sex screen, and it was so simple, just a little swab to the inside of your mouth once in a lifetime because humans cannot change their biological sex,” Davies said.
Jenner said she has been “pushing” for sex tests to return to sports, saying if we “continue down this road it will be pretty much the end of women’s sport as we know it”. “[I’m] someone who went through a complete change and I can still hit a golf ball 280 yards,” Jenner continued. “I know the effects of [female] hormones on the body, it does have a little bit of an effect but it’s not a major effect, and certainly not enough to make it even.”
Caitlyn Jenner has spoken out against trans athletes again (Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/Getty Images for Sky)
During the course of the conversation, Jenner went on to weigh in on womanhood, acknowledging that many trans folks would completely disagree with her views.
“They keep saying, “Oh, I’m a real woman, I’m a real woman” and I’m going, “No, you’re not,” said Jenner.
“I will use your preferred pronouns, I will treat you as a female, you can run and dress and do whatever you want, I have nothing against that, it’s fine, but biologically you’re still male.”
She added: “Let me explain – I am biologically male, OK? I’m XY. There’s nothing I can do to change that. If you believe in gender dysphoria, and I think most people do realise it’s not a disease, it’s a mental condition, just like some people are left-handed and some people are right-handed, it’s kind of the way you’re born and I’ve dealt with it my entire life.
“I consider myself a trans person, I am still genetically male, I changed all of my ID right down to my birth certificate so technically yes, I am female, but on the other hand I know I’m not.”
The interview comes as Jenner is set to launch a new podcast with ex son-in-law Lamar Odom, entitled Keeping Up With Sports.
The new show which the pair will host, alongside Zach Hirsch, will reportedly take a fresh look at sports and feature Sugar Ray Leonard as the first episode’s guest.
