Olympic boxer perfectly explains why he doesn’t have to take testosterone to be a trans man
Hargie Bacyadan has said he is still valid despite not taking hormones. (Getty)
Olympic boxer Hergie Bacyadan has explained why his trans identity is valid despite his decision not to take hormones.
In an Instagram post, the Filipino boxer, and only out trans competitor in Paris, made it clear that his transition is not defined by his capacity to take hormones.
He competed in the women’s event despite being a trans man because he has not undergone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – the process of taking hormones that better suit a person’s gender identity – or undergone gender-affirmation surgeries.
In the social media post, Bacyadan once again stood by his decision not to take testosterone, often referred to colloquially as “T”, simply because he does not want to. He has been highly vocal about his decision not to undergo HRT or surgery.
“[I] will never take ‘T’ and will never be on ‘T’, but consider myself a trans man because my heart says so,” the middleweight wrote.
While competing in the Vovinam World Championships in 2023, controversy over his participation in the women’s division of the martial arts competition forced him to admit that he had never taken testosterone, after a Russian team asked for his gold medal be nullified because he was a “man.”
Last week, he became the first out trans man to compete in any Olympic Games but lost his three-round bout to China’s Li Qian in the 75kg tournament by a unanimous decision.
“It’s sad to think of losing but I’m still very thankful I got to the Olympics,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s a big deal to me.”
Before his history-making fight, he said that while he was proud to represent the LGBTQ+ community, his biggest motivation was his family and tribe, as well as the supporters and people “who believe I can win a medal”.
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