*This content was translated by AI.
Gabriela Guimarães (32), registered as Gabi and captain of Brazil's women's national volleyball team, expressed strong anger over her country's volleyball federation's regulation restricting transgender athletes from competing. Gabi, who led the team to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a bronze at the Paris Olympics, declared full support and solidarity for Tiffany Abreu (41), a transgender athlete who has competed in the women's league since undergoing gender-affirming surgery, via her social media (SNS) on the 17th.
Brazilian sports outlet 'ge' reported on the 14th (Korean time) that "the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV) announced a new regulation that in principle limits eligibility for the women's division to 'biological females.'"
The new regulation requires players participating in domestic leagues starting from the 2026–27 season to submit negative test results for the 'SRY gene,' which determines biological maleness. As a result, Abreu, who has played on the court since the 2017–18 season, faces immediate and direct impact on her future playing career.
Abreu is the first transgender athlete to step onto the court of Brazil's top-tier women's professional volleyball league in history. Previously a male volleyball player, he competed in men's leagues across multiple countries including Brazil and Europe before undergoing gender-affirming surgery. After meeting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) hormone standards, he made his debut in the women's division in 2017. Since then, he has dominated with overwhelming offensive power, setting a record for the most points scored in a single match in league history. However, controversy over the fairness of transgender athletes competing in the women's division has continuously arisen both inside and outside the volleyball community.
On SNS, Gabi stated, "Who fights by your side is more important than the fight itself," and added, "I feel anger and disgust at how this country handles the Tiffany issue." She further criticized the federation for unilaterally changing regulations without sufficient explanation or consideration for players already in the season, asking, "Was there anyone who seriously considered the impact of this decision on Tiffany's life?"
Additionally, Gabi condemned the federation's hypocritical stance of displaying rainbow symbols only during June, designated as 'LGBTQ+ Human Rights Month.' He emphasized, "What truly matters is standing by those affected when they need it most," and stressed, "Tiffany is a human being who deserves to be respected."
Meanwhile, Sheilla Castro, former captain of the Brazilian national team who led the squad to consecutive Olympic gold medals, also expressed her support for Abreu via SNS.
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*This content was translated by AI.
