Rules Would Let Transgender Athletes Compete in California

The proposed rules were discussed today by the California Athletic Commission, which oversees professional and amateur events in the state for boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts. Under the rules,  transgender athletes would be required to have undergone hormone therapy for at least two years before competing. A testing procedure for transgender athletes would also be established.

Commissioner Christopher Giza said the rules attempt to strike a balance.

“Everybody has a right to participate in sports, but we need to find a way to allow them to participate safely, for both contestants, for both the transgender athlete as well as the non-transgender.” 

~Commissioner Christopher Giza

Giza said the regulations would bring the Commission in line with other sports organizations,such as the Olympics and NCAA, which already have transgender polices on their books.

Public testimony will be heard in the next few months. The rules could take up to a year to go into effect.