Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre has expressed support for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to ban biological men from women’s sports categories.
Poilievre’s reaction appeared on social media, where he reposted comments by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling about the recent policy change.
“Today’s ruling by the IOC means a welcome return to fair sport for women and girls, but I’ll never forget the scandal of Paris 2024, when people who consider themselves supremely virtuous and progressive publicly cheered on men punching women,” Rowling wrote on X on March 26. The text is accompanied by a photo of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif celebrating in an Olympic ring.
Poilievre quoted the post while adding “What she said” with a finger emoji pointing at Rowling’s comment. The best-selling author has been a vocal critic of transgender inclusion in women’s sports.
Khelif won Olympic gold decisively at the 2024 Paris Games amid controversy about the boxer’s biological sex. Khelif admitted in February to having the SRY gene, which is associated with males, while saying that she’s a woman, not transgender, and was raised as a girl.
“I have feminine hormones. People don’t know but I took hormone treatments to reduce my testosterone level for competitions,” Khelif told French media L’Équipe. “I didn’t do anything to change the way nature made me.”
Khelif will have to navigate a new environment with the IOC announcing its new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport, released on March 26.
The policy limits participation in individual and team sports to biological females starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Eligibility will be determined through screening for the SRY gene.
“Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development,” the IOC said in announcing the new policy.
The Olympic committee said transgender women will be able to participate in any male category.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry noted that victory and defeat are determined by narrow margins in elite competition.
“So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category,” she said. “In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said in a statement that the government supports providing opportunities for the transgender community, and that his department will work with “sport partners to review the impact of this decision on Canadian athletes.”
“Sport has the power to unite Canadians, build stronger communities and support well-being across the country. Our government believes in a sport system that provides opportunities for all Canadians, including the transgender community, to participate in sport and excel without discrimination,” he said.
“Our priority is to ensure there is a path forward for sport in Canada that preserves the integrity and fairness of sport categories while promoting equal opportunities and respecting human rights.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the Canadian Olympic Committee for comment but didn’t hear back by publication time.
The issue of biological males competing in women’s sports has been debated in Canada, with Alberta legislating on the matter.
The Alberta government’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, which came into force in September 2025, requires governing bodies of amateur sports in the province to limit girls’ and women’s sports to participants who were born female.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she’s “very glad” the IOC has adopted a similar policy.
“I expect national sporting organizations, including Skate Canada, will follow Alberta and the IOC’s lead in protecting the fairness and safety of women’s sport,” Smith said in a March 26 statement.
Skate Canada, the body overseeing figure skating in the country, said in late December 2025 it would no longer hold national or international events in Alberta due to its policy banning transgender women from female sports. The organization did not immediately return a request for comment.
Poilievre has backed Alberta’s policies, including in the conflict with Skate Canada.
“Premier Smith is right: biological men don’t belong in women’s sports—period,” he said in mid-December 2025.
Poilievre had mostly focused on economic and public safety issues after being elected Conservative leader in 2022. He was pressed by media in February 2024 to voice his stance on Alberta’s newly proposed bills about protecting women sports and banning sex change surgeries for minors.
Poilievre said children should be protected and accused critics of trying to “demonize” Smith and parents. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time Alberta was pursuing the “most anti-LGBT policies.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney said during the election campaign last year the rights of Canadians with “different identities and distinctions” must be defended by the federal government, including access to health care.
The Alberta government invoked the notwithstanding clause in the Charter to protect legislation banning males from female sports, prohibiting the provision of puberty blockers to children under 16, and banning sex change surgeries for minors.
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