PARIS.- France expressed this Friday his “great concern” about the announcement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reestablish genetic tests of femininity from the Los Angeles Games 2028“a step backwards” lamented by the Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari.
“We oppose a generalization of genetic tests that raise numerous ethical, legal and medical questions, especially in light of French legislation on bioethics,” which prohibits these tests, declared the minister in a statement sent to the press.
Almost thirty years after renouncing its practice, the IOC indicated on Thursday that femininity tests will be reinstated, de facto excluding transgender athletes and a large part of intersex athletes from women’s sports for the Los Angeles Games.
“France takes note” of this decision, but “on behalf of the French government, I want to express our great concern about this decision,” Ferrari said.
“These tests, established in 1967, came to an end in 1999 due to the strong reservations of the scientific community about their interest. France regrets this setback,” deplored the minister.
Ferrari considers that this IOC decision “raises serious concerns to the extent that it specifically targets women, by establishing a distinction that violates the principle of equality.”
“Likewise, it defines the female sex without taking into account the biological specificities of intersex people whose sexual characteristics present natural variations, which leads to a reductive and potentially stigmatizing approach,” continued the Minister of Sports.
He also recalled that France “remains committed to the fairness of competitions as well as to respect for the private lives of its athletes, as well as their integrity and well-being.”
The IOC resorted to chromosomal tests of femininity between 1968 and Atlanta Olympics 1996, before renouncing them in 1999 under pressure from the scientific community, which questioned their suitability, and from their own athletes’ commission.
No conflicts with Trump?
Although the new president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventryhas not yet met with donald trumphost of the 2028 Olympic Games, this policy eliminates the main issue that could have generated a conflict with the American president.
From the beginning of his second term, Trump excluded transgender athletes from women’s sports by decree, a measure that went against the IOC rules in force at the time.
The latter celebrated the news in a publication on his Truth Social network. “This is only happening thanks to my powerful decree that protects women and girls!” she wrote.
