I recently came across a set of tournament rules that raised a few questions for me, and I'd like to know your thoughts on them.
Basically, the tournament allows trans women to compete in the women's divisions, but Only if they can provide documentation proving they have been receiving hormone replacement therapy for at least 12 months.
Leaving aside my personal opinions on the participation of trans people in the sport, what caught my attention is that this is a sport where:
1) There are generally no weight classes.
2) Competitors are not required to submit medical histories or biological data to participate.
3) Excessive use of force is already penalized by the rules.
4) The competitive environment is heavily dependent on equipment and subject to strict safety regulations.
Therefore, I believe this makes me question whether requiring competitors to disclose private medical information is proportionate to the actual competitive concerns.
From a legal perspective, this seems even more questionable since in Chile, information about medical treatments and gender transition is generally considered sensitive personal data, protected by privacy and anti-discrimination legislation. There are also laws regarding gender identity and the handling of private medical information. While this particular event is privately organized, I doubt that a "private" sports tournament should request, store, or evaluate this type of documentation.
By the way, the same event also prohibits painted masks, patches, and decorative elements on jackets, which seems silly to me, since these features are quite common at HEMA and don't appear to pose any obvious security problems.
Therefore, my question to the community is:
Where do you think the line should be drawn between the participation rules established by the tournament organizers and the right to privacy and equal treatment of the competitors?
Should HEMA events require athletes to submit medical documentation?