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'Ignorant' petition calling for Jenner to be stripped of medals

An online campaign to strip Caitlyn Jenner of her Olympic medal has been labelled as ignorant and spiteful by the her supporters.

Caitlyn Jenner
Source: Vanity Fair

2 min read

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Source: SBS


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Several online petitions have emerged, calling for Caitlyn Jenner to be stripped of her gold medal in the wake of her transition.

Ms Jenner, born as Bruce, won a gold medal at the men's decathlon event at the 1976 Olympics and broke a world record.

She has since become the most high-profile American to identify as transgender, making the announcement in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer in April.

The unveiling of her Vogue cover broke another record for online reactions, but her transition has prompted a negative response from some.

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Two petitions are calling for Ms Jenner to be stripped of her gold medal - one petitioning the White House, the other the International Olympic Committee.

Both congratulate Ms Jenner on her transition, albeit briefly – one simply states “good on her”.

More than 4000 signatures have been gathered in total, with petitioners claiming that Ms Jenner was “in violation of committee rules regarding women competing in men's sports and vice versa”.

“It is only fair to all involved that women receive their credit as champions of the Decathalon and that the men racing Ms. Jenner are not expected to compete with a superior, streamlined being such as herself,” it read.

The hashtag #GiveBackTheGold has been widely circulated, but many used the phrase to criticise the petitions.

US President Barack Obama has supported Ms Jenner's transition, posting online that it "takes courage to share your story".


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