New York, NY – June 3, 2025 — Transgender advocate Kimberly Pifher is calling on President Trump and Republican legislators to adopt clear, science-based guidelines for transgender participation in sports—aligned with standards set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
With over 20 years of experience in gender health and advocacy, Pifher argues that gender-affirming hormone therapy (HRT) significantly reduces muscle mass, strength, and endurance in transgender women, often by 30% or more within a year (Harper et al., 2021; Roberts et al., 2020). These physiological changes remove any assumed advantage from pre-transition testosterone levels.
“Transgender women who meet medical requirements no longer have the physical makeup of cisgender men,” Pifher states. “Science shows that hormone therapy alters strength, body composition, and hemoglobin levels—factors that equalize the playing field.”
Organizations like the IOC and USOPC require transgender women athletes to maintain testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to competition. Pifher urges that the U.S. adopt the same rule across all national sports programs.
As a practical solution, she proposes that all transgender athletes be subject to mandatory hormone level verification one month prior to competition—mirroring Olympic procedures.
“This is not about politics; it’s about fairness, integrity, and dignity,” Pifher writes. “Let’s follow what science and sports authorities already understand.”
Pifher clarifies she is speaking solely as an independent advocate: “I am not a doctor. I represent no company. I’m just an experienced transgender woman committed to truth and equality in sport.”
Her letter has been submitted to national lawmakers and is available for public review.
About Kimberly Pifher Kimberly Pifher is a published author, LGBTQ+ advocate, and health equity speaker with two decades of work in gender policy. She regularly speaks on inclusion and fairness in healthcare and sports.
References
• Harper et al. (2021), British Journal of Sports Medicine
• Roberts et al. (2020), Journal of Medical Ethics
• International Olympic Committee (2021), Framework on Fairness and Inclusion
Media Contact: Kimberly Pifher
Email: rights4transgengers@gmail.com
