ToplineQuinn, a Canadian soccer player, is poised to be the first trans and nonbinary competitor to win an Olympic gold Monday. New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is eliminated. Quinn was the first openly transgender woman in competition.New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard wave to the spectators at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which took place in... [+] Japan. Picture date: Monday, August 2, 2021. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images. PA Images via Getty ImagesThe Key FactsQuinn, a Canadian women's soccer player who is openly transgender, became the first openly transgender athlete in the Olympic Games. Quinn, who won Canada's semifinal match against the U.S. women's soccer team Monday, is almost certain to be the first transgender and nonbinary Olympic medalist in the final Thursday. The games loser still wins silver. New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who was openly transgender, competed at the Olympics Monday. However, she was not able to register a lift in the final. Hubbard's participation in the Olympics sparked fierce debate and backlash around the globe. She made a heart gesture to thank the International Weightlifting Federation and placed last in women's street skateboarding.Important BackgroundSince Athens hosted the 2004 Olympics, trans athletes have been permitted to participate in the games. There were four Games in Athens, Beijing and London, and Rio de Janeiro. A guideline change was made in 2016 which allowed trans athletes to participate without having to undergo surgery. Later, nonbinary and openly trans athletes qualified to compete. Critics claim that trans athletes, particularly trans women, are unfairly included in competition. However, scientists have not found that trans athletes have the same advantages as critics claim. There is also no evidence that trans athletes are able to dominate the sports they participate in. Olympic officials said Hubbard's participation was valid under the existing rules. However, the International Olympic Committee stated that it will release new guidelines for transgender athlete within two months. The organization stated that these guidelines will be focused on safety and fairness, as well as inclusion.TangentAs Team USA skateboarders competed in the street event, commentators misgender Alana Smith. NBC and BBC pundits used incorrect pronouns throughout. CBC broadcasts also showed Quinn misgendered. Both Quinn and Smith's official Olympic biographics misgender Quinn and Smith at the top of their pages. However, their preferred they/them pronouns will be used throughout the document.Additional viewingChanging The Game is a documentary by Emmy-winning filmmaker Michael Barnett that follows three trans high school athletes living in the U.S. The film, which is based on the assertion that trans athletes (primarily trans women) have an unfair edge over cisgender rivals, sheds a more human perspective on the real people whose lives are the focus of politicized debates about trans rights.Continue readingThese Are the First Transgender and Nonbinary Olympians To Make History in Tokyo (Forbes).IOC admits that guidelines for transgender athletes may not be fit for purpose (Guardian).Transgender Olympian Laurel Hubbard Fails To Medal In Olympic Debut (Forbes)Alana Smith represented Team USA at the Olympics as the first openly transgender person. Getty ImagesChelsea Wolfe prepares for the Olympic BMX race in Tokyo. Getty Images: dpa/picture AllianceLaurel Hubbard represents New Zealand in women's +87kg Group A final weightlifting event... [+] during 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS
