Transgender gold medal winner isn't letting Donald Trump Jr.'s comments get her down
Canadian transgender cyclist Rachel McKinnon set a new world women's cycling record on Saturday in Manchester, England.
McKinnon was competing in the 2019 Masters Track Cycling World Championships in the women's 35-39 age division. This is the second year in a row she's won gold in the sprint category, Business Insider reported.
But not everyone is happy about McKinnon's victory.
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Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter on Monday to express his displeasure with McKinnon's win, with not one but three posts.
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McKinnon, who is also an associate professor at the college of Charleston and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy, got wind something was awry after she wrote about the hate speech she said she received on Instagram.
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Later, McKinnon tried to set the haters straight.
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She then tweeted about Trump Jr.'s response.
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On Tuesday, McKinnon tweeted "Y'all don't have a problem with testosterone levels, you have a problem with trans women period."
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) met in 2015 to discuss eligibility guidelines for transgender individuals competing in women's sports. As such, transgender women's testosterone levels must test below 10 nanomoles per liter for one year before their first competition.
This marks a strong change from the previous guidelines.
The prior 2003 IOC guidelines required transgender athletes to undergo reassignment surgery, following that up with at least two years of hormone therapy, the New York Times reported in 2016.
McKinnon posted a photo of herself on Instagram at the cycling championships, embracing bronze medalist Kirsten Herup Sovang from Denmark while silver medalist Dawn Orwick from the U.S., stood to the side.
It's clear that McKinnon isn't going to put up with any transphobia that comes her way and, based on her past performances, will keep crushing it on the cycling track.
Mashable has reached out to both McKinnon and Orwick for comment and will update pending their responses.
Topics Social Good
Siobhan was the Social Good reporter at Mashable, writing about everything from mental health to race to the climate crisis. Before diving into the world of journalism, she worked in global health — most notably, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique. Find her at @siobhanneela.
