Vogue magazine has been criticized after naming a transgender cyclist as the only sporting figure on a list of 25 “powerhouse” women.
Emily Bridges, who has previously spoken out against a British Cycling ban on trans athletes competing in the women’s category, was included in the list in the magazine’s September issue.
Gender-critical campaigners asked why the only sportswoman to be included in the list was trans, and not an elite international athlete.
Mara Yamauchi, an Olympian runner, wrote on social media: “Right now there are numerous fabulous female athletes in Budapest competing at the World Athletics Champs.
“In other sports too, thousands of fabulous female athletes British Vogue could have chosen.”
‘Kick In The Teeth For Women’
Fiona McAnena, director of sport at Fair Play for Women, called the move a “real kick in the teeth for women”.
“Emily Bridges is not yet a successful international cyclist so it’s hard to see why Bridges is there,” she said.
“Katarina Johnson-Thompson became the World Champion in the heptathlon – she is a world champion in a tough event. She should be in there, not Bridges.”
Ms McAnena said Bridges had done well competing in university events, but added: “I could think of many many women athletes to showcase. Bridges is not representative of an elite female athlete.
“That’s a particular choice that Vogue has made. They’ve ignored all the females at Bridges’ level, of whom there are hundreds, and all the world-class females, of which there are dozens.”
Speaking to Vogue, Bridges said that competitive cycling “was her life for the past 12 years” but that now she had to divest from the sport.
“So often I see that the people that have negative opinions about trans inclusion in cycling are the people that have never previously cared about the sport,” she said.
“They see it as an easy opportunity to jump in on the culture war and further anti-trans rhetoric.”
