Transgender runner Glenique Frank said the quiet part out loud when he received criticism for competing in the women’s division of the London Marathon. The 54-year-old personal trainer offered to return his medal.
Frank bested 14,000 women runners, thus denying those biological women their place. He said he is ok with giving his medal back but that he’ll compete again. During his interview with a BBC reporter, he exclaimed, “Girl power!” He wore a transgender flag as a cape and a tiara headband. He told the New York Post that he doesn’t apologize and the people criticizing him are haters.
“If they want me to give my medal back, I’ll say, ‘OK, fine. No problem,’” the 54-year-old personal trainer exclusively told The Post of the unintended outrage Sunday’s run sparked.
“If they really think I’ve stolen the place [of a female runner], I don’t mind giving the medal back, because I’ll run again next year for charity.
“But I don’t want to apologize, because I didn’t do anything wrong,” Frank stated firmly — saying she was only sorry for “upsetting” her critics, who she maintained were mostly “haters.”
“They’re angry because they’re saying that one of 14,000 women behind me could have had my place. Really? I did [the race in] 4 hours 11 minutes. There’s lots of women that beat me,” noted Frank, who came in 6,159th place in the female category.
That’s not the point. It doesn’t matter how many biological women beat him in the marathon. It matters that he had no business competing in the female category in the first place. Even if he only displaced one biological woman at the finish line, it’s one too many. He didn’t see the reason to apologize, instead justifying his attitude by saying he didn’t compete in the elite category so he didn’t accept any money for his performance. It’s interesting that he admits he did something wrong, though, as he acknowledged the legitimacy of his critics’ complaints. “I get it … I’m not a woman, I don’t have a womb,” he said. He plans to get top and bottom surgery next year. It will cost about $20,000.
“Girl power” says Glen (Glenique since 2021) Frank, an experienced men’s marathon runner who now runs in the women’s category, adding that it’s a great day because he’s going to be a “granny” soon #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/TT2UAD2zvY
— ripx4nutmeg (@ripx4nutmeg) April 23, 2023
Two-time Olympic marathon runner Mara Yamauchi criticized his participation in the female category. “Males in the [female] category is UNFAIR for females.” Yamauchi finished sixth in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Last month he ran in the New York Marathon as a male. He said he ran in London in the female category because he was able to pick his own name and gender. Other major marathons, like those in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, and New York, require registration under the name and gender on her passport. The London Marathon was the first of 17 marathons he plans to do in the female category.
UK Athletics applied World Athletics rules, excluding transgender women from female competitions, those who’d already entered races were allowed to still compete. He claims he is not at an advantage since his testosterone level is low due to hormone replacement therapy. That also isn’t the point. He went through puberty as a male. His body is a male body. He is at an advantage over biological women. Follow the science.
This is what will happen to women’s sports if women and men who support them don’t speak out regularly and loudly. Joe Biden is trying to make it a law that transgender women are allowed to compete in college sports in the United States. It’s wrong all the way around. This is not the brave new world we want.
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