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Dr. Rachel McKinnon

Professor, Elite Athlete, & Trans Rights Activist
 https://www.rachelmckinnon.com

Dr. Rachel McKinnon is a professor, elite athlete, and activist for trans rights. She is the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling world champion in the Women 35-44 Sprint event, giving her a unique perspective on trans athlete rights. Rachel is the first trans world champion in an Olympic event. She is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the College of Charleston and has published widely on topics in philosophy, trans studies, psychology, and ethics. This includes her 2015 book, The Norms of Assertion: Truth, Lies, and Warrant (Palgrave), and dozens of journal articles and book chapters. Rachel has published pieces on trans issues in outlets such as The Washington Post, CBC Sports, The Independent, OutSports, and others. She is currently working on a variety of issues surrounding barriers to trans athlete rights, including anti-trans harassment, gaslighting, and stereotypes. Rachel is training to win a Canadian national championship and to defend her masters world championship title in Manchester UK in October 2019.

Social Profiles

All Sessions by Dr. Rachel McKinnon

  • Day 2

    Saturday, Nov 16th

  • 12:45  - 13:45
    Dr. Rachel McKinnon In this keynote, Dr.McKinnon will examine the legal, ethical, and scientific foundations for inclusion of transgender women athletes in competitive sport, drawing on International Olympic Committee principles and relevant Court of Arbitration for Sport decisions. According to the IOC Charter, "Participation in sport is a human right." This includes trans women. She argues that the inclusion of trans athletes in competition commensurate with their legal gender is the most consistent position with these the current legal principles of fair and equitable sport. Biological restrictions, such as endogenous testosterone limits, are not consistent with IOC and CAS principles. She explores the implications for recognizing that endogenous testosterone values are a “natural physical trait” and that excluding legally recognized women for high endogenous testosterone values constitutes unfair discrimination.
    Keynotes
    Where
    Synergy Studio, ASU Sun Devil Fitness Center

  • 14:00  - 15:30
    Our understanding of gender has evolved over time, and our recognition of gender as a fluid social construct is more deeply understood now, more than ever. However, many of our systems, including sport, still cling to the notion of the gender binary. These systems often rest on an erroneous conflation of biological sex and gender, leading to exclusion and misunderstanding. This panel aims to explore gender in triathlon, with particular focus on how athletes, race directors, industry professionals, and federations can work to create a more inclusive environment for all triathletes no matter their gender identity and/or expression.
    Panels
    Where
    Synergy Studio, ASU Sun Devil Fitness Center




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Dr. Rachel McKinnon