Arcane Cycling Team has published an open letter calling on Cycling Ireland to introduce inclusive gender options on its membership registration portal, arguing that the current system actively excludes non-binary and intersex people from full participation in the sport.

Addressed directly to the national governing body, the letter outlines concerns with what Arcane Cycling Team describes as a “serious and ongoing concern” within Cycling Ireland’s administrative processes. At present, the membership portal offers only two gender options: male and female. According to the club, this binary choice has consequences that go far beyond paperwork.

“For non-binary and intersex people, this lack of accurate options is not a minor administrative issue,” the letter states. “It is a point of exclusion that causes real distress and creates a barrier to participation in cycling.”

Arcane Cycling Team describes itself as a “member-run, inclusive cycling club” that exists to support people of marginalised genders in accessing cycling in a way that is “safe, affirming, and inclusive”. As part of this ethos, the club strongly encourages members to hold Cycling Ireland membership for insurance and liability cover. However, it says this requirement increasingly places non-binary and intersex cyclists in a difficult position.

 

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The letter notes that members have reported “discomfort, anxiety, or harm when asked to misidentify themselves in order to access membership”, adding plainly: “No one should be required to select an inaccurate gender marker in order to participate in sport or to be insured while doing so.”

While acknowledging that Cycling Ireland may be constrained by existing regulatory, insurance and data systems, Arcane Cycling Team argues that these limitations do not justify inaction. “The absence of inclusive options has tangible consequences,” the letter says, warning that it sends a message that “some bodies and identities are not fully recognised within organised cycling”. This, the club argues, sits uneasily alongside Cycling Ireland’s stated commitments to inclusion, participation and wellbeing.

The team calls on Cycling Ireland to introduce inclusive gender options, including non-binary and self-describe choices, to clearly explain how gender data is used, and to engage directly with trans and intersex stakeholders. “Inclusive data practices are not incompatible with insurance or governance,” the letter stresses, pointing to other organisations that have already implemented such changes.

Concluding, Arcane Cycling Team emphasises that “Cycling should be a space where people can experience freedom, movement, and belonging” and expresses a willingness to work constructively with Cycling Ireland to achieve meaningful change.