Valentina Petrillo, a visually impaired transgender sprinter, has found a haven of acceptance within the Paralympic village in France, despite facing widespread scrutiny and criticism from outside. The 51-year-old athlete, who transitioned in 2019, competed in the T12 200m and 400m semifinals at the recent Paralympic Games in Paris.
Petrillo’s participation sparked controversy, with author JK Rowling labeling her an “out and proud cheat.” However, Petrillo, in an interview with the Times newspaper, expressed gratitude for the support she received within the Stade de France. “It was the perfect life. It was beautiful. I was welcomed by everybody,” Petrillo said, as she prepared to leave the village. “Outside, we know it’s not going to be the same. “I hope this can be the start of a transformation for transgender people.”
Having already experienced harassment in her home country, Petrillo anticipated some backlash in the public spotlight but attributed any transphobia in sports to fear-mongering. “JK Rowling is only concerned about the fact that I use the female toilet, but she doesn’t know anything about me,” Petrillo said. “And there has only been one (openly transgender) person that has participated at the Paralympics, me. So all of this fear that trans people will destroy the world (of women’s sport) actually does not exist. “People said (lots of) men would go to compete as women just so they could win, but that has not happened at all. It is just transphobia.”
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed that Dutch discus thrower Ingrid van Kranen was the first transgender Paralympian, competing at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 and sadly passing away in 2021. Van Kranen’s transition was not publicly known.
The discourse around transgender athletes has garnered significant attention in recent years, with governing bodies in many sports, including athletics, cycling, and swimming, tightening their participation rules for transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions. However, the IPC allows governing bodies to establish their own policies, and World Para Athletics permits individuals legally recognized as women to compete in the category corresponding to their impairment.
Critics argue that going through male puberty provides athletes with a substantial musculo-skeletal advantage that transition does not eliminate. LGBT advocacy groups, on the other hand, assert that excluding trans athletes constitutes discrimination and that insufficient research has been conducted on the impact of transition on athletic performance. Petrillo’s story underscores the complex and often contentious issue of transgender athletes in sports, highlighting the need for open dialogue, evidence-based policy, and a commitment to inclusivity.
