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National Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Female cyclist defends decision to not take podium with transgender winner
A female cyclist took a stand by not taking a stand — on the podium. Article content Julie Cutts Peterson refused to take to the stage after finishing second in a women's cycling race last week that was won by a transgender athlete. Article content Article content Article content 🏆 A man won the @usacycling women's masters 55-59 national championship road race today. Here's "Katheryn/KJ" (James) Phillips proudly standing on the top step. Second place and rightful winner Julie Peterson is absent from the podium.👍 Why does USAC continue to allow this? — 🚲 (@i_heart__bikes) July 1, 2025 Article content 'At the finish line, I was upset. I said, 'I did not want to race against a man,'' Peterson said, referring to a post-race statement that made the crowd gasp. 'In my mind, I was like, 'I can say that, I have freedom of speech.' Article content 'I was raised believing in the Bible where men are created by God and God created women from men, I was born and raised in America, where I learned my pronouns and I took science classes that taught me about XX and XY and I believe that most Americans and people worldwide would support men not being in women's categories.' Article content Peterson came in second place to Katheryn 'KJ' Phillips — a transgender athlete who was born a biological male — at the Lyons Masters National Championships in Wisconsin on July 1. Article content Peterson is one of several veteran female cyclists who have spoken out against USA Cycling, claiming the organization failed to disclose the participation of a transgender athlete. Article content Article content Peterson said she only knew that a transgender athlete was in the race after Phillips came 'out of nowhere' during the final sprint. Article content Article content 'I knew at that sprint that that was a man's sprint,' Peterson said, while noting her experience riding among both men and women. Article content It was a shock to Peterson and other competitors, who claim that Phillips' name was not included on the registration list, 'which means that we were not given the information that he would be racing in our category before the race started.' Article content
New York Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Female cyclist defends ‘taking a stand' on women's sports by refusing to take podium with trans winner
Veteran cyclist Julie Cutts Peterson told Fox News' 'America Reports' about why she refused to take the podium for the medal ceremony after losing to a trans competitor. 'At the finish line I was upset. I said 'I did not want to race against a man,'' Peterson said, recalling her frustration at the event and the way the audience gasped at her comment. 'In my mind I was like, 'I can say that, I have freedom of speech.' I was raised believing in the Bible where men are created by God and God created women from men, I was born and raised in America, where I learned my pronouns, and I took science classes that taught me about XX and XY and I believe that most Americans and people worldwide would support men not being in women's categories.' Peterson came in second place to transgender opponent, Kate 'KJ' Phillips – born a biological male – who took the gold medal last Tuesday at the Lyons Masters National Championships in Wisconsin. She is one of multiple veteran female cyclists who are speaking out against USA Cycling after they claim the organization failed to disclose the participation of a transgender athlete in a recent race. 3 'At the finish line I was upset. I said 'I did not want to race against a man,'' Peterson said, recalling her frustration at the event. ICONS Peterson recalled the final sprint of the race where Debbie Milne was the only competitor ahead of her until 'out of nowhere' came Phillips. 'I knew at that sprint that that was a man's sprint,' she said, noting her extensive experience riding among both men and women. Peterson went on to argue transgender ideology is not scientifically sound, declaring, 'There is no amount of makeup, money, or marketing that can change that Y-chromosome, and that's why we are taking a stand.' 3 'I knew at that sprint that that was a man's sprint,' she said, noting her extensive experience riding among both men and women. The cyclist claimed further that the transgender competitor's name was not even included on the registration list, 'which means that we were not given the information that he would be racing in our category before the race started.' 'Apparently we're hearing that from other athletes as well,' 'America Reports' co-anchor Sandra Smith said, sharing a clip of Milne claiming that Phillips' registration was completely hidden from competitors. 'Catherine Phillips, KJ's name, was not on that list. And I checked it up all the way to the point of closure when we couldn't register online anymore,' Milne said last Thursday on 'Fox & Friends.' According to Milne, neither she nor Peterson believe the omission of Phillips' name was accidental, referring to the incident as 'deception.' She said Peterson later got confirmation Phillips had been registered since mid-June, long before the online list closed. The cyclist added that, had she known, she might have reconsidered spending hundreds of dollars and traveling over 400 miles to compete. 3 The cyclist claimed further that the transgender competitor's name was not even included on the registration list. Instagram / k8nevergivesin Smith also noted that Fox News Digital had reached out to USA Cycling, who responded by providing their transgender eligibility policy. Smith relayed that as she understood it, the policy as it stands is, 'Quite simply it's just providing a written and signed declaration to the cycling technical director that their gender identity is female.' Peterson agreed, claiming she has a photo of how the registration appeared June 19th at 4:48 P.M., arguing that USA Cycling and Bike Reg had plenty of time to show the transgender competitor's name there but decided not to, an increasingly growing pattern. Fox News' Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
Fox News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Female cyclist defends 'taking a stand' on women's sports by refusing to take podium with trans winner
Veteran cyclist Julie Cutts Peterson told Fox News' "America Reports" about why she refused to take the podium for the medal ceremony after losing to a trans competitor. "At the finish line I was upset. I said 'I did not want to race against a man,'" Peterson said, recalling her frustration at the event and the way the audience gasped at her comment. "In my mind I was like, 'I can say that, I have freedom of speech.' I was raised believing in the Bible where men are created by God and God created women from men, I was born and raised in America, where I learned my pronouns, and I took science classes that taught me about XX and XY and I believe that most Americans and people worldwide would support men not being in women's categories." Peterson came in second place to transgender opponent, Kate "KJ" Phillips – born a biological male – who took the gold medal last Tuesday at the Lyons Masters National Championships in Wisconsin. She is one of multiple veteran female cyclists who are speaking out against USA Cycling after they claim the organization failed to disclose the participation of a transgender athlete in a recent race. Peterson recalled the final sprint of the race where Debbie Milne was the only competitor ahead of her until "out of nowhere" came Phillips. "I knew at that sprint that that was a man's sprint," she said, noting her extensive experience riding among both men and women. Peterson went on to argue transgender ideology is not scientifically sound, declaring, "There is no amount of makeup, money, or marketing that can change that Y-chromosome, and that's why we are taking a stand." The cyclist claimed further that the transgender competitor's name was not even included on the registration list, "which means that we were not given the information that he would be racing in our category before the race started." "Apparently we're hearing that from other athletes as well," "America Reports" co-anchor Sandra Smith said, sharing a clip of Milne claiming that Phillips' registration was completely hidden from competitors. "Catherine Phillips, KJ's name, was not on that list. And I checked it up all the way to the point of closure when we couldn't register online anymore," Milne said last Thursday on "Fox & Friends." According to Milne, neither she nor Peterson believe the omission of Phillips' name was accidental, referring to the incident as "deception." She said Peterson later got confirmation Phillips had been registered since mid-June, long before the online list closed. The cyclist added that, had she known, she might have reconsidered spending hundreds of dollars and traveling over 400 miles to compete. Smith also noted that Fox News Digital had reached out to USA Cycling, who responded by providing their transgender eligibility policy. Smith relayed that as she understood it, the policy as it stands is, "Quite simply it's just providing a written and signed declaration to the cycling technical director that their gender identity is female." Peterson agreed, claiming she has a photo of how the registration appeared June 19th at 4:48 P.M., arguing that USA Cycling and Bike Reg had plenty of time to show the transgender competitor's name there but decided not to, an increasingly growing pattern.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Runner-up of USA Cycling women's race claims speaks out after trans cyclist wins
The runner-up of an officially sanctioned USA Cycling race is speaking out after she lost to a transgender opponent — claiming she wasn't made aware beforehand that the eventual winner would be competing in the race. 'If I had known, I wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars in travel and time off work to come and do a race,' cyclist Julie Peterson told Fox News. Peterson came in second place to her transgender opponent, Kate Phillips, who took the gold at the Lyons Masters National Championships in Wisconsin on Tuesday. Advertisement 3 Transgender cyclist Kate Phillips victory in a race in Wisconsin sparked a controversy among women racers. Instagram / k8nevergivesin After finishing second, Peterson refused to take the podium in protest. 'I said, 'I don't want to race against a man,' and they quickly scolded me and said 'Oh, you can't call him a man,' and I'm like 'Well, he is a man,' so I was quickly scolded and corrected that it is a woman and I don't even know what to say,' Peterson told officials, according to FOX News. Advertisement Peterson's actions sparked a wave of frustration from other women cyclists who said they were disheartened at having to compete against athletes who were born male, according to FOX News. Peterson, who said she wasn't aware that Phillips was competing after she had registered for the race herself, argued with officials about the eventual victor's participation in the event, the report said. 'You could clearly see the power that he had,' Peterson told Fox News Digital about Phillips. Debbie Milne, another veteran racing cyclist who finished seventh place, shared In Peterson's indignation. She criticized USA Cycling for allowing Phillips to compete. Advertisement 'To be fair to all humans, if we want to say him or her, he was born a biological male, that is a fact,' Milne told Fox News Digital. 'And that is the thing that makes it an unfair advantage. Whatever has happened after that is a whole different topic.' Milne said there are sweeping advantages to being born a man and racing against a woman. 3 Debbie Milne spoke out against the participation of cyclists born men in women's competitions. Facebook / Debbie Milne 'I've raced for 25 years in conditions that only women can understand. There's a lot that only a born female woman goes through because of the cycles that we have,' she said, according to FOX News. Advertisement 'Even that alone is something that a man-born biological male can never experience. There's nothing that can stimulate that, when you show up to the race and you are at the worst point of the monthly cycle and you know you're at a disadvantage,' Milne added. Like Peterson, Milne had no idea that she was going to be competing against the trans athlete in the race. 'I totally did not expect this, to drive 13 hours, to come and do a national championship,' Milne said. 'I had no idea. I'd like to have known that's what the terms were if I came. But that wasn't even made known to me.' Kristina Gray, a veteran women's cyclist who did not participate in Tuesday's race, told Fox News she's also had to compete against trans cyclists in her racing career. 'In my last 10 years of racing, I've had to race against biological males, I've been forced to be on the podium with many of them, more recently the last five years,' Gray said. 'In Oregon…there is a biological male in our races, every weekend, practically.' The three outraged women cyclists contacted the Independent Council on Women's Sports to spread the word about the outcome of the race. 3 The runner up in a prestigious Wisconsin race refused to take the podium with the winner, a transgender cyclist. ICONS The Post has reached out to USA Cycling and Phillips for comment. Advertisement The USA Cycling transgender eligibility policy allows for biological males to compete in the women's category under certain conditions, according to FOX News: Provide a written and signed declaration to the USA Cycling technical director, using the Elite Athlete Fairness Application form, that their gender identity is female. Satisfy the Elite Athlete Fairness Evaluation process in Section IX below if the athlete: a) Is a Group A athlete; or b) Desires to compete in a championship race at a national championship.
Sky News AU
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Sky News AU
Transgender athlete wins USA Cycling women's event as female opponents protest and speak out
A trans-identifying athlete won a women's cycling event that was officially sanctioned by USA Cycling on Tuesday, prompting female opponents to protest and speak out. The trans athlete, Kate Phillips, won first place at the Lyons Masters National Championships in Wisconsin on Tuesday. Phillips beat out veteran women's cyclist Julie Peterson for the gold, and Peterson then refused to take the podium at the medal ceremony in protest. "You could clearly see the power that he had," Peterson told Fox News Digital about Phillips. Peterson said she wasn't even aware that Phillips had registered for the event until she had already registered herself and even argued with officials about the situation. "If I had known, I wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars in travel and time off work to come and do a race," Peterson said. "I said, 'I don't want to race against a man,' and they quickly scolded me and said 'Oh, you can't call him a man,' and I'm like 'Well, he is a man,' so I was quickly scolded and corrected that it is a woman and I don't even know what to say." Veteran women's cyclist Debbie Milne competed in the Tuesday event, finishing in seventh place. Milne also spoke out against USA Cycling for allowing Phillips to compete. "To be fair to all humans, if we want to say him or her, he was born a biological male, that is a fact," Milne told Fox News Digital. "And that is the thing that makes it an unfair advantage. Whatever has happened after that is a whole different topic. "I've raced for 25 years in conditions that only women can understand. There's a lot that only a born female woman goes through because of the cycles that we have. Even that alone is something that a man-born biological male can never experience. There's nothing that can stimulate that, when you show up to the race and you are at the worst point of the monthly cycle and you know you're at a disadvantage." Milne also said she wasn't aware of the trans athlete's participation ahead of the race. "I totally did not expect this, to drive 13 hours, to come and do a national championship," Milne said. "I had no idea, I'd like to have known that's what the terms were if I came. But that wasn't even made known to me." Fellow veteran women's cyclist Kristina Gray, who did not compete against Phillips on Tuesday, wanted to speak out in support of her female peers because she said she's also had to compete against trans athletes in cycling as an Oregon native. "I have in my last 10 years of racing, I've had to race against biological males, I've been forced to be on the podium with many of them, more recently the last five years," Gray said. "In Oregon, every almost weekend, there is a biological male in our races, every weekend, practically." The three women then reached out to the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) to spread awareness of the incident. Fox News Digital has reached out to USA Cycling and Phillips for comment. The USA Cycling transgender eligibility policy allows for biological males to compete in the women's category under certain conditions: Provide a written and signed declaration to the USA Cycling technical director, using the Elite Athlete Fairness Application form, that their gender identity is the Elite Athlete Fairness Evaluation process in Section IX below if the athlete: a) Is a Group A athlete; or b) Desires to compete in a championship race at a national other Team USA national governing bodies have come under scrutiny for their transgender eligibility policies over the last year. USA Gymnastics removed its transgender eligibility policy this year, and is currently assessing it. "In May, USAG removed its policy to assess compliance with the current legal landscape," read a USA Gymnastics statement provided to Fox News Digital. USA Fencing announced in April that it is preparing to change its gender-eligibility policy, after a viral protest by women's fencer Stephanie Turner sparked mass backlash and federal intervention by protesting a trans opponent. The organization said it is preparing to amend its current policies that allow biological males to compete with women and girls in the event that it is "forced" to change them. USA Track and Field (USATF) official transgender eligibility policy now references the World Athletics guidelines on its official webpage. USATF previously referenced the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s policy, as seen in an archive via Wayback Machine. Originally published as Transgender athlete wins USA Cycling women's event as female opponents protest and speak out
