Emily Bridges says she will take British Cycling to court if ban on transgender cyclists is not reversed

In her first broadcast interview since British Cycling altered the regulations concerning transgender cyclists participating in elite women’s events, Emily Bridges informed ITV’s Steve Scott that she intends to challenge the ban in court. During the interview, Bridges also expressed her readiness to escalate her case to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that British Cycling’s rule change constitutes a violation of her human rights.

“I don’t care if I never compete again. It’s for other people who want to compete and it’s just about what’s right,” she added.

2023 new regulations

In May, the cycling federation introduced a policy restricting the involvement of transgender women in races designated for the female category. The policy stipulates that only individuals assigned female at birth are eligible to compete. This ruling came after a nine-month evaluation conducted by British Cycling.

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Emily Bridges had once aspired to chase Olympic glory in Paris this summer, according to the interview. “It’s not something I allow myself to think about too much because that part of my life is gone now, and it’s not something I really want to do anymore,” she said. “If we were allowed to compete, if I was allowed to compete, it would be a different conversation,” she added. “But I can’t compete. I can’t do something I used to love.

Fear for safety in open category

The new rules forbade transgender cyclists from competing with biogolical women, and resulted in an “open” category. To Bridges, however, that constitutes a ban.

“A ban is a ban. You can say you can compete in the open category, but we’re women – we should be able to race in the women’s category,” she said.

Bridges expressed concerns about her safety if she were to compete alongside men and disapproved of transgender women being compelled to disclose their identity in order to participate in the category.

Challenges studies

Bridges, who has undergone transition and is using testosterone blockers, challenges the validity of the peer-reviewed studies referenced by British Cycling and others. These studies purportedly show that transgender women who have suppressed testosterone maintain a performance advantage even after puberty.

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“How many of those studies are done on…