U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) has released an interim eligibility policy outlining new guidelines for participation in men’s and women’s categories, specifically updating the rules regarding transgender participation.
Previously, USMS allowed “transgender swimmers to participate in the gender competition category in which they identify,” something that was called into question last month as the Texas Attorney General launched an investigation into the participation of a transgender swimmer at the USMS Spring Nationals in April.
The new interim policy is modeled after “applicable parts” of the World Aquatics Policy on eligibility for participation in men’s and women’s categories.
The policy allows members to register for the competition category that aligns with their identity, but for competition purposes (being part of the USMS “Recognition Programs”), athletes will not be included unless they are swimming in the competition category that aligns with their sex assigned at birth.
USMS “Recognition Programs” are competitive awards and rankings offered within USMS. Examples include: USMS records, Top 10, All-American, placing and scoring of points at all sanctioned events, and all similar LMSC-level competitive recognition programs.
Swimmers who opt to swim in a category that does not align with their sex at birth won’t be eligible for Recognition Programs, but their results will stay in the USMS database.
Official Eligibility Rules For Recognition Programs
- Eligibility for Recognition Programs in the Men’s Category
- Members of the Male Sex, members who identify as male (i.e., transgender men), and members with 46 XY DSD are eligible for Recognition Programs in the men’s category, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression.
- Eligibility for Recognition Programs in the Women’s Category
- Members of the Female Sex are eligible for Recognition Programs in the women’s category, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression.
- Members with 46 XY DSD whose gender identity or gender expression is female are eligible for Recognition Programs in the women’s category if they can establish to USMS’s comfortable satisfaction that their sex assigned at birth is female.
USMS adds that the policy will not determine the eligibility of members to compete in World Aquatics competitions, and, “for the avoidance of doubt, World Aquatics Policies supersede USMS policy for World Aquatics records, World Aquatics events, and World Aquatics Top 10 recognition.”
“USMS will continue to align with applicable World Aquatics Policy and will evaluate adjustments to the policy and associated procedures when World Aquatics Policy is amended or when additional information on transgender, non-binary, and DSD participation evolves,” the organization wrote in its interim policy.
Why is the US Government driving policy of a private organization? It was fine before. I don’t see why it needed to be changed.
This feels right. Is there one flaw with this stance?
I mean, I guess this works. Kind of figured it would end up like this in some sort of fashion.
Allows participation which is the main argument for inclusion, but separates results which is the main argument for distinct separation around competition.
No one will ever be completely happy, that’s life, but finding middle/common ground is kind of the whole purpose in this crazy world.
Are they going to start genetic testing in masters swimming now? They don’t test for PED’s and I know for a fact there are people using them posting multiple top 10 times in their age group. This is a waste of time and energy.
Why would they need genetic testing.
Given its assigned at birth I imagine that if there was some sort of protest the athlete would just provide their birth certificate.
USMS has never asked for a birth certificate before, they don’t know what gender affirming care people have received, and as far as I understood from a scan at the T&C’s from signing up, they don’t have a right to ask. If they want fairness, they should also be looking to exclude people taking steroids and PED’s from results and records.
Lack of reason reigns supreme. No transgender person should be allowed to compete against a women swimmer or any female athlete in any sport.
It seems like that’s what they are proposing. Or do you mean not even swimming in the same heat? Most masters meets mix ages that aren’t directly competing against each other into the same heats, and many meets mix men and women in the same heat (arranged by seed time).
I’m curious, if an individual who is transgender and competes in the women’s category, and is not included in the women’s awards, does that mean the individuals times are eligible for the men’s rankings?
Or are the transgender individuals times not eligible for any awards?
Curiosity killed the cat. There is nothing to discuss on this so- called subject.
That’s a great question, which is what made me ask is this just like exhibition. If so, then no points in any category or ranking report
That’s an interesting question. I’ll ask and see what USMS says.
Boo
I will say this, this is going through incredible efforts to placate both sides of the fence
Not a surprising result. This issue has become a battle between those who are arguing for an ideological position that sees identity as existential, something to be affirmed rather than confirmed, and those who see gender as an immutable and determinate characteristic of biology. While the sport has been historically accommodating (see women’s participation in Olympic, collegiate, club, and masters competition), it is not well suited to handle this disparity of ideas.
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Yeah in a purely recreational side of the sport (though I recognize a handful of Masters swimmers get small sponsorships), I’d say that having sort of an official and unofficial winner is a pretty good solution.
It doesn’t work as well in high stakes, elite sport, but I think in recreational sport, that’s a reasonable compromise.
Clearly you have never competed at a USMS national championship