Transgender ice hockey athlete Jamie McCulloch is one of a handful of
transgender athletes at the Sydney-hosted Gay Games VI who have found themselves
in the middle of a tussle against whom they should be competing – men or
women. McCulloch – who underwent a sex-change operation five years ago – competed twice in the Gay Games on Monday - once as part of the Boston men's hockey team, and a second time as part of the women's team, according to a report in The Australian.
"Absolute rubbish," said McCulloch. "We have to go through extensive hormone replacement therapy and anti-testosterone treatment so that by the time we have had surgery our muscle mass has reduced by at least 50 percent."
Just four years ago at the Amsterdam Gay Games, transgender competitors were required to provide documentary evidence of "complete gender transition." Sydney Games officials have dropped that rule, but are said to be working on a new set of guidelines for transgender athletes.
McCulloch said Monday that men living as women who have not had surgery should not be allowed to compete against female athletes. "But for post-operative transgenders like me, it's not an issue – look, I was going to a gynecologist who didn't even know."
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