The debate surrounding transgender athletes competing against cisgender women has been reignited by Republican candidate for secretary of state of Missouri, Valentina Gomez, who recently claimed that transgender athletes should not compete against female athletes. This statement appears to be a response to the recent controversy at the Paris Olympics, where a female athlete faced off against a transgender competitor in a women’s boxing match.
In a video message on social media, Gomez stated her views that transgender athletes should create their own category and emphasized the importance of keeping women’s sports separate from male participation. She expressed concern over what she perceived as a mockery of both Christianity and women at the Paris Olympics and called for an end to the presence of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
This statement by Gomez, who is one of eight Republican candidates running for Missouri’s secretary of state position, follows the recent controversy surrounding a women’s boxing match between a female athlete from Italy and a transgender athlete from Algeria at the Paris Olympics. The match lasted just 45 seconds, as the Italian competitor was unable to continue after taking two strong punches to the face, resulting in her forfeiting the bout and crying out about the perceived unfairness of the situation.
The Paris Olympics have faced criticism for various reasons, including last Friday’s opening ceremony which featured homosexuals, transsexuals, and drag queens simulating a Bacchanalia patterned after Leonardo da Vinci’s famous mural ‘The Last Supper.’ Gomez’s statement is in line with her campaign slogan of being “a woman on a mission.” In May, she went viral for another social media post where she advised voters to avoid being “weak and gay.
Previously, Gomez has shared content on social media that showed her setting fire to books with themes related to the LGBTQ community. She vowed to continue this practice if she were to become secretary of state, saying that she would burn such books from a Missouri public library when she assumes office.