Trans woman's inclusion in female category of powerlifting championship in B.C. questioned by protesters

The 2023 Canadian Powerlifting Championships in Richmond, B.C., became ground zero for the debate over the inclusion of transgender women in female sport categories on Thursday, when members and supporters of the International Consortium on Female Sport made their stance on the matter clear.

The group, which advocates for a "dedicated category for athletes born female," held signs and wore stickers reading "XY ≠ XX," in protest of the policy that allowed a transgender woman from Calgary to compete in the event, where she won the bronze medal in her weight category.

"We were there because there has been a policy capture across Canada allowing ... people born male to self-identify into women's sports," said ICFS founder Linda Blade.

The Canadian Powerlifting Union's trans inclusion policy says athletes can self-identify into the category of their choosing. 

"At both recreational and competitive levels, an individual may participate in their expressed and identified gender category," reads the policy.

Anne Andres, the transgender powerlifter who won the bronze medal during the event, said all but one fellow competitor was supportive of her participation, and that the presence of the ICFS group had little impact.

"I noticed there was a bunch of signs there, but any time I approached the platform, the rest of the powerlifting community held up bigger signs to block out everything," said Andres.

"Nobody was tolerating their malarkey." 

According to Blade, the ICFS action was meant to draw attention to policies that they say elevate transgender women inclusion over other considerations.

She said the signs were not a personal attack.

Organizations are grappling with how to balance inclusion, fairness and safety in sporting