Last week, the CRCA Board of Directors sent an email to USA Cycling demanding they take action to support trans athletes. We joined many other voices of the cycling community in this effort with clearly outlined demands (which can be read in full in the letter below), and we have found USA Cycling’s official statement and USA Cycling CEO Rob DeMartini’s statements in his interview with Singletracks completely inadequate. Because of this, the CRCA Board of Directors is seeking to divest from USA Cycling for the 2022 season.
As the largest and oldest racing organization in the United States, CRCA has typically relied on being a USA Cycling member club in order to pass along the greatest value to our approximately 800 members. Unfortunately, we are finding it increasingly difficult to continue partnering with USA Cycling while they demonstrate an inability to comprehend the severity of this threat to the human rights of their members and the population at large. The anti-trans legislation that recently passed in Arkansas is an injustice that subsequently affects both our athletes and all athletes. The fact that similar legislation is slated to pass in 20 other states is not a reason to continue business as usual.
While it is currently not feasible to make any changes for the 2021 season, CRCA intends to divest from USA Cycling for the 2022 season if they continue to choose inaction and do not make significant strides to including LGBTQ+ membership in future plans and create a meaningful framework to protect all USAC members.
Our goal is to advocate for and amplify the voices that are being marginalized within the cycling community and to support trans and LGBTQ+ USAC members as they take the lead with USAC in creating future plans and policies.
As others have stated numerous times: USA Cycling must live up to their mission statement developed by their DEI Task Force: “People should feel comfortable participating in cycling, regardless of gender, gender identity, race, class or any other perceived difference.” Until this is achieved, we do not believe USA Cycling can create an environment that is safe and equitable for all CRCA members, and there is not a single bike race that is more important than human rights.
Subject: A call for USAC to stand in solidarity with trans athlete equity
To USA Cycling:
We are writing on behalf of the largest and oldest racing organization in the United States and one of USA Cycling's largest registered clubs, The Century Road Club Association. Our club consists of 800 diverse members throughout the New York City region, and we are working to make cycling more diverse and accessible for all who would like to take part in the sport of competitive cycling.
This letter is in regard to the recent signing of SB354 in Arkansas, which bans transgender athletes from participating in sports on teams and within fields that align with their gender, HB1570, which bars transgender teenagers from medical care, and SB289, which would allow doctors and medical professionals to deny care to transgender individuals. These are not isolated bills: there are several such others in various forms across the United States, that seek to bar trans athletes from participating in sport that aligns with their gender as well as necessary and often live-saving medical care.
Today, we ask you to step up as a leader in the cycling community, and a guiding force for our sport, to demonstrate support for trans athletes and to uphold your continued commitment to diversity and equity across all aspects of competitive cycling.
To do this, we endorse the following to show support for trans athletes, their right to participate in cycling and competitive sport, and to continue to further USAC's mission of equitable access for all cyclists:
- Make an uneviquable statement to the trans and queer community that they belong in cycling, and that USAC will support them as members and athletes in the fields and competitions that align with their gender identity. Make it clear to trans and queer athletes that they have a safe place to train and compete within USAC, and you will work to protect and uphold their rights.
- Create a specific action plan for how you will help transgender and gender non-conforming athletes be able to safely train and compete in the cycling community and within the USAC competitive structure.
- Apply visible and actionable pressure to UCI to move the cyclocross world championship event to a state that allows trans athletes to compete in the event.
- Make a new policy that USAC will not support any competition that discriminates or bans trans and gender non-conforming athletes from participating in categories or competitions that align with their gender identity in the future.
- Refrain from sending Team USA athletes to any races or competitions that discriminate against trans and gender non-conforming athletes.
We have been long-time members, partners, and athletes within the USAC community, and want to work with you to help make cycling a more equitable and diverse space that is safe and welcoming for all athletes. To do this, we must all step up and take clear, visible, and specific action to help guide our competitions, organizations, and legislatures to support us in these endeavors and to stand in opposition to any discriminatory action that stops us from reaching this goal. Anti-transgender legislature goes against the stated values of USAC, its DEI statements, and the mandates of UCI, as well as the governing bodies in the sport of cycling.
We look forward to hearing more from you, and on behalf of the entire CRCA Board of Directors, we look forward to being able to help you create these policies and help enact lasting and meaningful change for cyclists across the country.
Kevin Hsieh - President
Tara Parsons - VP of Rider Development
John D'Agostino - VP of Club Racing
Travis Torsky - Secretary
Mitchell Napolitano - Treasurer
Emily Singleton - Communications Director
Euan Stevenson - Public Relations Director
Randy Locklair - Membership Director
Evan Bauer - Marshal Director
Elizabeth Tobey - Director of Teams
Alex Klafehn - Director of Open Racing
Nathan Brauer - Director of Advocacy
Co-signed by members and associates of the club:
Robert Sullivan
Todd Potter, USAC #301049
Mark von Hof, USAC #503034
Jordan Allen
Kristina Grossmann
Ellen Moses
Alex Rodriguez
Ryan Seher. USAC #76488
Brian Hammond, USAC #532582
Josh Sakofsky, USAC #286215
Dariya Karelina
Patrick Derocher
Ted Teyber
Cullen MacDonald, USAC #484771
Justin Gilchrist
Kevin Hatt
Lisa Hom
Ira Blumberg
David Mawhinney, USAC #590406
David Graybeal, USAC #256421
Robert Gray
Daniel Lammon, USAC #364793
Russell Bogin, USAC #319680
Sam Hamilton
Ben Hughes, USAC #204305
Justin Wood
Christine de Witte
Ben Noble, USAC #290874
Andrew Ross MD, USAC #30620
Cyrus Greenspon
Jason Parkin, USAC #180969
Jennifer Poirier, USAC #396527
Kendall Lane Poe, USAC #537762
Michael Webster, USAC #304589
Jim Boyd
Bill Ash, USAC #378837
Wyle Solomon, USAC #553143
Kristyn Pluchino, USAC #582555
Chesley Andrews
Joel Erickson, USAC #578146
Robert Stern
Max Haight, USAC #377418
Stuart Richards
Alice Boyce
Ray Diaz, USAC #9400
Santiago Lyon, USAC #392837
Gregory Hruby, USAC #367152
Connie Bree
Jasmine Eden Gray
Marc Cesare
Dr. Jeffrey S. Poulin, USAC #155114
Erica Adelberg, USAC #242487
Rosael Torres-Davis
Timothy J Snell, USAC #204448
Ann Marie Miller, USAC #127444
Andrea Archer
Enrique Cubillo
Robert Stemper, USAC #518201
