Stand With April update: President of Canadian Powerlifting Union resigns!
As pressure mounts on the Canadian Powerlifting Union, it was revealed that the president of the sport's governing body resigned on Nov. 12 following a failure to 'modernize' its 'inclusivity' policies.
Canadian Powerlifting Union president Shane Martin tendered his resignation on November 12, just days after the organization threatened Team Canada powerlifter April Hutchinson with a two-year ban from competition for accurately describing a male-born powerlifter competing in the women's division.
The Canadian Powerlifting Union President has Resigned!!
— April Hutchinson (@Lea_Christina4) November 16, 2023
Anyone that doesn't protect women and ensure fairness in sport SHOULD Resign. #savewomenssports @Riley_Gaines_ @icons_women @ICFSport @RebelNews_CA pic.twitter.com/CpzBNSdkht
April filed a complaint against a trans-identified male competitor who mocked female powerlifters for being less strong.
Anne Andres (male who identifies and competes as a woman) doesn't understand why female powerlifters are so "bad" at bench press....well idk Anne, but maybe it's because you have 20 times more testosterone than them. Just a thought.... pic.twitter.com/klxd4WaoYc
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) February 17, 2023
April's complaint went unacknowledged, while a complaint against her for airing her unheard grievances on social media led to her ban.
"I am the one being punished for speaking truth."
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) October 2, 2023
Powerlifter April Hutchinson says she's being threatened with suspension for calling trans athlete Anne Andres a biological male.@Lea_Christina4 | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/pvi6TsJgIR
April is fighting back against her potential suspension. Her lawyer, Lisa Bildy of Libertas Law, is being crowdfunded by Rebel News. To donate and sign the petition calling for April's ban to be revoked, visit www.StandWithApril.com.
Stand With April: Stop silencing women who speak out for fairness in sport!
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 14, 2023
Team Canada powerlifter April Hutchinson was threatened with a two-year ban for speaking out against biological males competing in her sport. Help her fight back!
April Hutchinson faces a two-year ban… pic.twitter.com/pFg9awTiRL
In his resignation letter, Martin described his failed attempts to modernize the organization's "inclusivity" policy as his reason for leaving:
The position has become something I no longer recognize and I am not the one to lead this organization.
The most pressing membership issue was examining the CPUs inclusion policy with the goal of improving and modernizing it to better reflect the frameworks other Canadian sports are operating under.
Martin's Nov. 12 resignation comes just two days after April received support from the International Powerlifting Federation:
The IPF respects the rights of our athletes to express their views on social issues that affect them, as well as their freedom of speech. The IPF Executive Committee shall contact the Canadian Powerlifting Union to request clarification on this matter.
In February, former CPU head Martin called the police to attend a Vancouver powerlifting event after women showed up in black to mourn the death of women's sports.
🚨🚨🚨Police called on 19 women @ICFSport in Vancouver by Canadian Powerlifting Union Pres. Shane Martin
— ICONS (@icons_women) February 17, 2023
Women dressed in black to “mourn women’s sports” with “XY≠XX” stickers cheered female lifters forced to compete at CAN Nationals against trans identifying male, Anne Andres. pic.twitter.com/ddh1rIudDA
Sheraton hotel manager @SheratonYVR asks women to leave women’s sporting event because they were cheering on women athletes and holding signs.
— ICONS (@icons_women) February 17, 2023
“If you’re refusing to leave we are going to have to take it to the next step…Officers are waiting outside.” pic.twitter.com/hl8lE0MhSE
At that event, a male-born competitor, who now goes by the name Anne Andres, was allowed to compete against biological women and took home third.
Original footage has been taken down by event organizers https://t.co/7Dd5sddVeD pic.twitter.com/2px9eMMgjT
— ICONS (@icons_women) February 17, 2023
Here is the 13 page legal letter in response to The Canadian Powerliftings accusations by trans identifying male lifter AA. I will be pursuing legal action. I have a wonderful team and grateful for everyones support. Link to letter in post . https://t.co/zBvve8hT6U
— April Hutchinson (@Lea_Christina4) November 10, 2023
At an August competition, Andres, the biological man, took home first, beating the second-place woman by 200 kgs.
A man who thinks he's a "woman," Anne Andres, entered the women's division of the Western Canadian Powerlifting Championships over the weekend. The result was a massacre. The second place finisher, an actual female, got a combined score across three lifts of 387 kilograms. "Anne"… pic.twitter.com/Rcl7smE7io
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 14, 2023
As April says: one down, four more board members to go. You can sign our petition and chip-in to help cover April's legal costs for this important fight at StandWithApril.com.
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