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The president of a pride fest organizing group in Canada resigned amid immense backlash for comments about transgender athletes in women's sports.
The Windsor-Essex Pride Fest in Ontario, Canada, announced on social media this week that President Wendi Nicholson has resigned after she commented on the recent reports that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be banning biological males from women's competitions.
"Effective immediately, Wendi Nicholson has resigned as Board President and is no longer affiliated with Windsor-Essex Pride Fest," the statement read.
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A parade attendee waves the Progress Pride flag at the Midsumma Pride March held at St Kilda, Victoria, in Australia Feb. 2, 2025. (Joshua Stanyer/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
"We have closely followed the comments people have made about this situation and while this is announcement is an important first step, we agree there is much more we can do… We realize that people are angry and we understand why. We ask that you bear with us as we work toward bettering ourselves and uphold our values of equality, inclusion and respect."
Nicholson's comments came during a radio interview on AM800.
"We have been fighting for women in sports. Now we get people that come in and go, ‘Well, I can’t make it in this sport, so I’m going to transition and be this,'" Nicholson said.
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"You’ve gone through as Johnny up until you’re 17 or 18, you’re playing in elite sports now, you’re hitting that puberty, you are not as good as what you thought, but then you look and go, 'hey if I say my name is Sally, and I’m transgender, I can go and I can beat the crap out of the girls."
Nicholson added that she has no problem with transgender women participating in sports "until you get to the elite divisions," and that as a "woman who has been pioneering for years," she felt the matter "hits a sore spot."
Fox News Digital has attempted to reach Nicholson on social media for comment about her recent resignation.
The IOC’s current policy leaves it up to each individual sport’s governing body to make policies governing transgender athletes. But as the IOC changed its leadership, The Times of London reported on Monday that its policies are set to change as well.
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The upcoming policy switch is likely to be announced at the IOC session in February before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy and comes after a presentation from Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s medical and scientific director, last week, according to The Times.
Thornton’s presentation reportedly showed there were physical advantages in males, including those who took treatments to reduce testosterone levels. A source told the paper that the presentation was "very scientific" and unemotional.
"An update was given by the IOC’s Director of Health, Medicine and Science to the IOC Members last week during the IOC commission meetings," an IOC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course."
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
