A new petition started on Change.org this week requests that the International Olympic Committee revoke Caitlyn Jenner's 1976 decathlon gold medal.
The petition, started by Jennifer Bradford on Monday, June 1, the same day Jenner's Vanity Fair cover was unveiled, urges the IOC to take back her legendary feat from the Montreal Olympics.
"Dear International Olympic Committee," the petition reads. "It has recently come to light that gold medalist Bruce Jenner is in fact transgender, and therefore, identifies as a woman. We congratulate Ms. Jenner on these new developments and wish her the best. However, this creates somewhat of a problem as Ms. Jenner (as talented as she is) claims that she has always believed herself to be truly female, and therefore, was in violation of committee rules regarding women competing in men's sports and vice versa."
The petition goes on to argue why the IOC should consider revoking Caitlyn's victory. "Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that we must ask whether or not it is proper that Ms. Jenner should retain her olympic records in light of this," the petition reads. "As we must now either claim that Bruce Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner are two entirely different people (which we know is not true), or that Bruce Jenner was, in fact, a woman participating in a men's event. It is only fair to all involved that women receive their credit as champions of the Decathalon and that the men racing Ms. Jenner are not expected to compete with a superior, streamlined being such as herself."
It further implies that Jenner returning the gold medal will be for a good reason. "We urge Ms. Jenner to support the transgender community by giving up the medals earned by competing against the wrong gender," the petition concludes. "Thank you, and congratulations to Ms. Jenner for her courage! #givebackthegold."
Since Monday, the online request has solicited just a little over 2,500 signatures. Meanwhile, Jenner touched on her Olympic victory this past week in Vanity Fair's behind-the-scenes video. "I was probably at the [Olympic] games because I was running away from a lot of things," the July 2015 issue cover star reflected. "Very, very proud of those accomplishments, I don't want to diminish that accomplishment… It's not about people cheering in the stadium," Caitlyn continues. "It's not about going down the street and everybody giving you a, 'Thatta boy, Bruce!' pat on the back."
While most reactions to Jenner's new cover have been overwhelmingly positive, the writer of the Vanity Fair piece, Buzz Bissinger, said Kris Jenner's ex is equipped to handle the negative, too.
"To be honest, she was in much better hands with me because [my experience] made me more sensitive to the repercussions of what could happen to a story like this," the Friday Night Lights author told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday about his personal experience with cross-dressing and heading to rehab for a shopping addiction. "The issues of gender are personal and complex, and they’re important. Who cares what you are and who you are unless you are fulfilled? But stating that can have backlash like it happened with me. Caitlyn got the benefit of someone who was sensitive and attuned to what she’s going through and she’s a big girl, she can handle it."
