A transgender athlete who was barred from prohibiting in a major CrossFit competition is suing the fitness company.
Chloie Johnson is seeking $2.5 million in damages, CNN reports. The CrossFit Games are billed as deciding who is “The Fittest on Earth.” Johnson argues that she is legally recognized by California as a woman. She had sexual reassignment surgery in 2006 and continues to be on female hormone therapy, according to her lawsuit.
CrossFit argues that since Johnson was born as a male, she would have an unfair advantage over her competition.
“The fundamental, ineluctable fact is that a male competitor who has a sex reassignment procedure still has a genetic makeup that confers a physical and physiological advantage over women,” a CrossFit lawyer said in a letter obtained by CNN.
Johnson’s lawyer disagrees: “[Jonnson] doesn’t have an advantage over other women. She’s been on estrogen for such a long time.”
[CNN]
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com