Tag: Transgender
Trans Fitness Coach Says “Bodybuilding Is The Perfect Sport for Trans Men”
Trans Men’s Physique competitor and coach Cody Harman is no stranger to the bright lights of a bodybuilding stage. In a recent Men’s Health interview, he shared why bodybuilding is the “perfect’ sport for trans men because it serves as an excellent confidence booster.
“I haven’t personally come across a ton of transphobia within the bodybuilding community, but it’s definitely out there,” shared Cody Harman.
Many lives have been transformed by fitness in various ways. Fitness can enhance one’s physical and mental well-being. For Cody Harman, it also helped him embrace his identity as a transgender man and helped him discover the benefits of bodybuilding for trans people.
Harman started lifting weights in his mid-20s and fell in love with it. As he transitioned, he explored bodybuilding which afforded him the luxury of pursuing his passion with more confidence and joy. His last competition saw him finish fifth at the 2020 NPC Sacramento Championships.
“I can’t grow any taller but I can grow out.”
With a dedicated effort to training, health, and wellness, Harman parlayed his passion for fitness into a career. The 37-year-old is a nutritionist and fitness coach, responsible for preparing a number of athletes for competitions. His career choice was inspired after he trained with several coaches throughout his journey of self-discovery.
Trans Coach Says Bodybuilding Helped ‘Him Feel Comfortable in His Own Skin’
Cody Harman believes bodybuilding is an ideal sport for the transgender community as it promotes body positivity, inclusion, and hard work.
“I had a few awesome coaches growing up who helped me see what I was capable of and pushed me to keep improving and believing in myself, even when I was going through some really dark times. I want to have that same positive impact on others.”
“When you think about it, bodybuilding is the perfect sport for trans men.
“Bodybuilding was a way for me to take control [of my life], and start my journey of feeling more comfortable in my own skin. As I progressed, and started taking part in physique competitions, it became a celebration of my journey and how far I had come, from not even wanting to wear a swimsuit and wearing a baggy T-shirt at the beach, to stepping out on a stage with hardly any clothes on. I am also a pretty routine-oriented, structured person, so bodybuilding is a fit for me. I love getting up to train every day and seeing my progress over time.”
“A lot of trans guys and trans people in general come from this place where they’ve felt uncomfortable in their own skin their whole lives. So, this kind of training helps boost their confidence and what they believe they can accomplish.”
While Cody hasn’t encountered transphobia too often, he accepts that it’s ‘definitely out there,’ especially online. Oftentimes, when he meets someone who doesn’t agree with the LGBTQ+ movement, they are unaware that he’s a part of that community.
“I haven’t personally come across a ton of transphobia within the bodybuilding community, but it’s definitely out there. We get these little keyboard warriors, but generally they’re people you never see in real life because they don’t actually compete, and they suck at bodybuilding anyway.
Largely with bodybuilding, the greatest part is the shared focus,” said Cody. “It doesn’t matter how you were born, or how you identify, it’s [about] how we can all get bigger biceps. We’re in the gym, we’re having fun, that’s it.”
“I’ve had a guy at the gym casually tell me that he doesn’t “agree” with trans people or same-sex marriage and stuff like that, and I just sat there thinking to myself, wow, obviously he has no idea [I’m trans]. And that’s the majority of people; they have no idea they can be talking to a trans person about how they don’t agree with people transitioning, and you just have to laugh inside.”
Transgenderism’s impact on the fitness, bodybuilding, and powerlifting communities has been widespread. The USA Powerlifting (USAPL) federation was recently involved in a court hearing regarding a transgender inclusion policy in Minnesota. Having banned trans athletes from competing in women’s divisions, they eventually lost the court case. Even though the USAPL revised its transgender policy, they were still banned from conducting business in Minnesota.
Given the sensitive and controversial nature of the subject, some athletes have remained quiet on the issue. However, that’s not the stance bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest took. He went off on the aforementioned trans-athlete ruling and called it ridiculous. Overall, he doesn’t believe people born as males should have the opportunity to face naturally-born females in sanctioned competitions.
RELATED: Transgender Powerlifter JayCee Cooper Sues USAPL After Getting Banned From Competition
Cody Harman hopes to make the world, and especially places of fitness, a more welcoming place for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. Given the wide-ranging benefits he’s taken from bodybuilding, Harman encourages his audience to give the sport a try.
Published: 6 June, 2023 | 11:11 AM EDT
USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Forced To Cease Doing Business in Minnesota After Transgender Policy Ruling
The USA Powerlifting (USAPL) federation was recently involved in a court hearing about their transgender inclusion policy in the state of Minnesota. Having banned transgender athletes from competing in the women’s division, USAPL found themselves under a lot of pressure from the community. In addition, they lost the court case and were ordered to “cease and desist from the unfair discriminatory practice of barring transgender female athletes from competing with other women”. However, the sanctions for the USAPL federation just got even worse, as the organization was forced to stop doing business in the state of Minnesota as well.
USAPL revealed the new information through their website on April 15th. They revealed how they revised their transgender policy and submitted it to the court, but were still banned from doing business in Minnesota. However, they believe that the judge in charge of their case misinterpreted the law and made the wrong decision. So, they will submit an appeal, which they hope will correct the situation.
“As many of you know, USA Powerlifting is involved in litigation in Minnesota involving the appropriate and fair inclusion of transgender athletes. The judge assigned to this case has ordered us to cease doing business in Minnesota even though we complied with an earlier court order by submitting a revised policy concerning male to female transgender athletes. We believe the judge has misinterpreted Minnesota law in this regard and exceeded his authority in terms of the conduct of our service to our members. We will appeal this highly unusual ruling.”
However, despite their plans to submit an appeal, USAPL will still have to suspend their activities in Minnesota for now. This means that they can’t organize competitions, other events, or sell memberships.
“However, while these proceedings play out, we are ordered to suspend competitions in Minnesota and cease selling memberships to Minnesota residents. We are investigating relocating Midwest Regionals and further information will be forthcoming.”
Apart from the written statement, the USAPL’s president, Larry Maile, also released a statement explaining the organization’s beliefs, statistics, and the process.
Watch USAPL’s video here:
Related: Lee Priest Goes Off on Trans Powerlifting Ruling: ’It’s Ridiculous’
JayCee Cooper was the athlete who filed a lawsuit against the USAPL in 2021, but only got to sigh with relief two years after. Cooper received an email in 2019 informing her that she could not participate in the women’s division of the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) federation. Following this, she decided to request protection under the Human Rights Act in order to address the issue of gender discrimination.
Transgender policies have proved to be sensitive in other federations as well. For example, in the Canadian Powerlifting Federation (CPU) anyone who states that they are a woman can compete in the women’s division. This recently resulted in an interesting situation, as Avi Silverberg, a man, entered the women’s division and broke the bench press record. Furthermore, the record which he broke was previously in possession of a transgender athlete, Anne Andres, who was present at the record-breaking performance as well.
Another federation whose transgender policies were faulty was the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA), whose rules of conduct at the time prohibited transgender athletes from competing in drug-tested competitions. Their reasoning was that hormone use was not permitted in competitions that were tested. Thus, trans people who required hormonal treatment would not be allowed to compete in these sorts of competitions.
The order to stop conducting business in Minnesota has affected the USAPL already, as they have to relocate the Central and Midwest Regionals to a different state. Based on USAPL’s stance on this matter, it seems that they will fight until the end. Therefore, the outcome of the situation remains to be seen.
Published: 20 April, 2023 | 10:17 AM EDT
Laurel Hubbard Will Be The First Transgender Athlete to Compete at Tokyo Olympics
Laurel Hubbard to be the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics.
Major change is coming to the Tokyo Olympic Games. It appears that Laurel Hubbard will be the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympic Games. This historic occurrence is sure to be a controversial one.
Got the transgender community it’s certainly a major victory. But the arguments against this action are mounting and an accelerated pace. Many are upset that the transgender athlete who was born male and transitioned is competing against athletes who were born biologically female.
Making History
Despite the criticism, Laurel Hubbard will indeed be competing for New Zealand at the Olympic Games.
The weightlifter from New Zealand who competes in the women’s 87kg division made this official statement about being given the right to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” said Hubbard.
“When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career had likely reached its end. But your support, your encouragement, and your aroha carried me through the darkness.
“The last eighteen months has shown us all that there is strength in kinship, in community, and in working together towards a common purpose. The mana of the silver fern comes from all of you and I will wear it with pride.”
Great deal of individuals have responded less than kindly to the news. Many believe that Laurel Hubbard has an unfair advantage having being born a biological male. The argument is that Hubbard had loved most of her life with male physiology and cultivating strength throughout the years. Many women are upset with the idea of a transgender athlete competing at the Olympic Games.
No matter where you stand on the situation, Laurel Hubbard is making history and is shattering all expectations.
What do you think of Laurel Hubbard and her participating at the Tokyo Olympic Games?
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Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.