A transgender gravel cyclist who won a women’s race category was slammed by SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly after questioning why no one joined her on stage in an Instagram post.
Lesley Mumford, a woman who transitioned in 2014, won the 2023 Desert Gravel Co2Ut (Colorado to Utah) race in her 40-49 age group and finished sixth overall on May 14.
Mumford, a former sheriff’s deputy, posted a photo of herself on Instagram standing alone on stage with the caption, “I have no idea why so many people had to run from the stages, but they did.”
The cyclist finished 17 seconds ahead of second place Lindsey Kriete and 33 seconds ahead of third place Michelle Van Sickle in the grueling challenge.
On her show, Kelly referred to Mumford as “a biological man” who was “pretending to be a woman” and who was Wesley Mumford until “two minutes ago,” claiming she switched to win races.
A transgender gravel cyclist who won a women’s race was slammed by SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly after questioning why no one joined her on stage in an Instagram post
Kelly, the former Fox News and NBC host, has previously been critical of transgender participation in women’s sports, including ESPN honoring transgender swimmer Lia Thomas as part of Women’s History Month celebrations.
She says her opposition to some aspects of transgender rights has hardened in recent months — particularly trans women in sports and the provision of so-called “gender-affirming care” to children who claim to be trans.
Kelly declared women’s cycling “all but gone” and “worse than women’s swimming” because of transgender women’s winning event, speaking to Carrie Prejean Boller and Britt Mayer, the co-founders of The Battle Cry, a group against trans inclusion in sports.
She and her guests joked about how no one came on stage before asking her guests why “the biological women bailed.”
“I think what we’re seeing is that we’ve been polite for so long and we thought being polite would somehow make this all go away, but it’s getting worse,” Mayer said.
“But as it gets worse, I think women are getting stronger in their beliefs and realizing what’s at stake and saying if we don’t protest this now, this madness will become this tidal wave that destroys women’s sport.”
Kelly then noted that there was an option for a non-binary and transgender race for Mumford to participate in.
“They won’t,” Boller replied when asked why Mumford didn’t.
“They are narcissists, these are people who are very sick. They are sick individuals and they refrain from beating women.’
She asked why Venus and Serena Williams and other famous athletes didn’t protest this along with Riley Gaines.
“We all know that men have an advantage over women, so I think it’s great that women are given the balls to say, ‘No more,'” Boller added.
The host showed a photo of Lesley Mumford, a woman who won the 2023 Desert Gravel Co2Ut (Colorado to Utah) race and posted a photo of herself standing alone on the podium with the caption, “I have no idea why so many people previously bailed. the stages, but they did’
She stated that women’s cycling had “almost disappeared” and “worse than women’s swimming” because of the transgender women’s winning event, speaking with Carrie Prejean Boller (pictured right) and Britt Mayer (pictured center), the co-founders of The Battle Cry, a group against the inclusion of transgender people in sports
Kelly stated that Mumford, 45, was “a biological male” and was “pretending to be female” who Wesley Mumford was until “two minutes ago” to transition to win races
All three women quoted Inge Thomson, a former Olympic cyclist, who has written that the UCI is “effectively killing women’s cycling” by allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological women.
Mumford – a former 17-year law enforcement veteran and SWAT officer – announced her transition in April 2017, according to CBS news.
She told the Park record that she made the decision to switch in 2014. In 2018, Mumford became the first transgender person to be admitted to the FBI Academy in Virginia.
In March, Kelly attacked ESPN for honoring transgender swimmer Lia Thomas as part of its Women’s History Month celebration.
“Oh HELL NO!” tweeted the former Fox News host in response to a music video celebrating Thomas’ career and her transition.
ESPN honored former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas as part of a “Celebrating Women’s History Month” segment on Sunday.
Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an Ivy League championship and later an NCAA championship in the 500-meter freestyle, but has sparked debate over whether it is fair for trans women to participate in women’s sports.
Fox News host Megyn Kelly posted on Twitter attacking ESPN’s decision to honor transgender swimmer Lia Thomas during its Women’s History Month segment
Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an Ivy League Championship and later an NCAA Championship in the 500 free
The segment touched on Thomas’s transition from male to female, her win at the NCAA Championships, and competing amid criticism from the swimming world.
Thomas has denied that she has an unfair competitive advantage because of her birth gender.
“People will say, ‘Oh, she just switched so she would have an advantage so she could win.’ I switched to be happy,” Thomas said in the ESPN clip.
“Trans women are not a threat to women’s sport,” Thomas famously told Good Morning America in May.
“Trans people don’t switch to athletics. We’re about to be happy and authentic and be our true selves,” she said.
Thomas was a men’s swimmer during the first three years of her college career at UPenn, during which she said she was unhappy and uncomfortable. She says she didn’t switch to get an edge.