Madrid Court Admits Appeal of Trans Firefighter Denied Position
Madrid, February 25 – The Contentious-Administrative Section of Madrid has accepted the judicial appeal filed by D. L. Y., a candidate for one of the 126 firefighter positions in the capital’s city council. The applicant, who initially placed 201st, climbed 100 positions after a registered gender modification, despite not having undergone any physical or hormonal treatment to transition to a woman. This controversial move is permitted by the current legislation, promoted by former minister Irene Montero.
Controversy and Rejection from the Municipal Board
However, another opponent, who had been ranked 127th after D. L. Y.’s climb through alleged legal fraud, appealed to the municipal qualifiers. This led to the trans individual being disqualified from becoming a firefighter. According to ABC, the candidate, who applied alongside his twin brother (who successfully secured a position without claiming a gender change), has appealed his expulsion from the process in court. Becoming a civil servant firefighter offers a lifelong position with a good salary.
Testosterone Levels and Athletic Regulations
During medical tests on December 18, 2024, D. L. Y.’s testosterone levels were measured. The analysis showed a normal amount of this male hormone (18 nanomoles per liter of blood), typical for a male. The 127th ranked applicant requested the trans candidate’s analytical results at that time. The “International Association of Athletics Federations established in 2019 a maximum blood testosterone limit of 5 nanomoles per liter for certain women’s events.” “However, as of March 31, 2023, this limit has been reduced to 2.5, requiring athletes to maintain this level for at least two years before competing,” the association concluded. Consequently, last Friday, D. L. Y. was not among those who received their firefighter assignment after months in the academy. The 127th applicant returned to position 125 because another candidate was also invalidated after testing positive for doping with anabolic steroids.
Judicial Proceedings Underway
The current Contentious-Administrative document, on the one hand, notifies the 126 chosen individuals to appear in the case as defendants. It also requests from the Madrid city council the “remission of administrative files” related to the call for applications. The issuance of judicial proceedings has already begun, and the process is in motion.
Impact of Gender Change on Scoring
The call for applications originated from an order by the municipal General Coordinator of Security and Emergencies, signed on December 21, 2023. In the following months, theoretical, psychotechnical, and physical exams were held. Initially, D. L. Y. scored 6.08 in the theoretical part and 8.32 in the practical. When these initial scores, which are averaged, were released, D. L. Y. requested a review, and it was then that the argument of being a woman was put forward, requiring the application of the female scale in the physical exams. The marks are lower and the times are longer in these cases. Only eight women passed the theory and two passed the practical.
The “corrected” scores were issued on December 2, 2024, and the then-firefighter candidate achieved a 9.71 where it was previously an 8.32. Their final average, therefore, increased from 7.2 to 7.895, and consequently, they climbed from position 201 to 101. This meant displacing the individual who was legally in position 126 until then.
