Story: Gender diversity

‘I'm not gender neutral, I'm a girl’

‘I'm not gender neutral, I'm a girl’

When Kate Weatherly began competing in men’s races in downhill mountain biking, she was already taking hormone blockers to assist her transition to her female identity. ‘Outed’ as trans by someone in the mountain biking community before she was ready to reveal this on her own terms, she switched to competing in women’s races. This caused controversy amongst some of her competitors.

Some advocate a third category for competitors in elite sports – men, women and gender-neutral. However, as Kate said in 2019, ‘My thing is, I'm not gender neutral, I'm a girl. The whole idea of a third category invalidates my sense of identity.’

See a video of Kate talking about her sport and her transition (Stuff Limited)

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How to cite this page:

Johanna Schmidt, 'Gender diversity - Human rights and discrimination', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/47407/im-not-gender-neutral-im-a-girl (accessed 2 May 2024)

Story by Johanna Schmidt, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 4 May 2021 with assistance from Gender Minorities Aotearoa