Na Hwa-rin, a 37-year-old transgender cyclist from South Korea, has made headlines after winning a women’s cycling race. Na entered with the intention to win. Not for glory, not for honor – but to prove that transgender women have an advantage in women’s sports and that other trans athletes are “selfish.”
A Lifelong Passion for Cycling
From a young age, Na knew she was a woman despite being assigned male at birth. Her journey in sports started long before her transition, earning her a reputation as a fierce competitor in men’s races – even while undergoing hormone therapy.
Advocating for a “Third Gender” Category
As the first recognized transgender athlete in South Korea, Na used her moment of victory to advocate for a “third gender” category in athletic competitions. She suggested this category could be similar to weight divisions in certain sports and argued that the current binary system may discourage cisgender women and hinder their recognition due to the participation of transgender people. Na qualified to compete in the National Sports Festival – but she declined.
Honor vs. Selfishness
Na said: “I am not proud of myself at all. I believe other transgender athletes would feel the same way. They may not want to admit it but they’re being selfish. There is no honor as an athlete in that.”
Unrecognized Hard Work
Na continued: “It could be like how we have many weight divisions in some sports. Under the current binary system, [cisgender] women athletes will be discouraged and their hard work might not be recognized due to the participation of transgender athletes.”
Respect and Harmony in Sports
Na acknowledged that creating a separate category might raise questions. However, she firmly believes that it would benefit not only transgender athletes but also the committees overseeing sports competitions. Nah believes lowering the bar and allowing more people to compete will inspire others to pursue their dreams while promoting respect and harmony in sports.
Balancing Farming and Cycling
When she’s not training or competing, Na works as an asparagus farmer. Her dedication to both farming and cycling reflects her commitment and determination. “Respect and harmony. Those are the core values of Olympism and sports,” she said.
An Alternative Perspective
News of Na’s story was shared across the internet and one social media user posted a particularly in-depth analysis. “I woke up to a story that I suspect will dominate a conservative news cycle because any time a trans person wins any sporting event it becomes national headlines. The difference with this one is the trans woman seemed to be in cahoots with the right-wing propagandists,” they began.
Excelling in the Men’s Division
The social media user went on to explain that Na excelled in the men’s division. As such, she’s exactly the type of person one would expect to continue to excel even after her “biological advantage” is lost due to hormones.
A Great Deal of Previous Success
The individual said: “Na is explicitly the kind of person you would expect to excel after transitioning. Someone who had a great deal of success in the men’s division [and] is now competing in a field with a fifth of the competitors.”
The Vague Details
They went on to discuss the lack of details available in English in regard to Na’s achievements. “I also find it interesting that the details of her success are vague, which leads me to believe she probably won fewer events this year in the women’s than last year in the men’s. Though I don’t read Korean so I can’t verify this,” they wrote.
The Second Smallest Province
The user continued, highlighting the small population in Na’s province: “It’s important to understand the dynamics of any high level of athletic play to make sense of what’s going on here. Gangwon is the second smallest province in South Korea.”
The National Championship
The user went on to imply that cycling isn’t hugely popular in Na’s province. They also said that Na likely rejected the national championship offer because she knows she’d be beaten and that wouldn’t suit her narrative.
An Interesting Theory
They wrote: “I suspect her not competing in the national event is largely due to her being aware of this. It wouldn’t suit her narrative if she claimed this victory was the result of her ‘biological advantage’ then [got] annihilated.”
Trans Men in Men’s Sports
In response to the aforementioned individual, one person said: “I think the thing about these news articles that gets me the most is that it’s always about trans women. None of them ever talk about trans men winning in sports. There are a few that have but that doesn’t seem to garner any interest.”
The Phenomenon of Internalized Transphobia
Others discussed internalized transphobia and how intense it can be. “Internalized transphobia really is powerful, isn’t it? It’s not ‘selfish’ to want to compete in the correct category. Most of us lose our advantage. ‘Selfish’ is making us compete with the men,” one person said.
A Third Category Is Not the Answer
Another said: “A third category is not the answer. Do away with gendered categories entirely, in most sports anyway. ‘Biological advantage’ based on sex or gender is a myth. Fewer women go into most sports, so fewer women who excel as much as the best men are found.”
A Great Cyclist
Others wondered if Na knows any other transgender people. One person said: “It sounds like she needs to get out more and speak to more trans people. I wonder if she even knows another trans person. This woman didn’t win because she has an advantage. She won because she’s a great cyclist.”
A Conservative View
Conservatives held a very different view. One said: “I’m glad this person is standing up for women’s sports by proving that women competing against biological males is 100% unfair. Someone needs to stand up for women. I’m glad to see this trans woman showing the wokes something.”
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