Inclusion Isn’t a One-Time Event

The OUT Foundation acknowledges CrossFit’s recent decision to reopen the CrossFit Open to broader participation, including trans and nonbinary athletes. We welcome this change, and we recognize that it reflects the effort and advocacy of many athletes, coaches, and affiliates who have long been calling for more inclusive policies.

However, this adjustment is only a small step — not a real solution. It does not change the deeper and more harmful rules that still prevent trans and nonbinary athletes from fully and fairly participating across the CrossFit Games season.

Earlier this year, The OUT Foundation submitted a petition to CrossFit with more than 2,000 signatures from athletes, coaches, affiliates, and community members. That petition called for the reversal of exclusionary policies and the adoption of clear, affirming, trans-inclusive standards.

Its message was simple: trans and nonbinary athletes deserve consistent access, safety, and a genuine opportunity to advance — without being singled out, restricted, or erased by policy.

Under CrossFit’s current framework, athletes may register for the Open in alignment with their gender identity, but to advance or be eligible for prize money, they must compete in the division corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. This preserves a system that differentiates, limits, and disadvantages trans and nonbinary athletes solely because of who they are.

Allowing participation in one stage while blocking authentic participation in later stages is not true inclusion. Inclusion cannot be confined to a single event or used as a symbolic gesture. It must be embedded across every part of the competitive structure — divisions, qualification pathways, prize eligibility, and governance. Without that, changes like this read less as meaningful progress and more as a narrow correction that leaves the core problem in place.

The OUT Foundation will continue to advocate for policy reforms rooted in athlete inclusion, safety, and dignity. We remain ready to engage in good-faith dialogue with CrossFit leadership, and we stand in solidarity with the athletes who have made it clear that partial inclusion is not enough.

CrossFit can, and should, do better.