Trainee firefighter 'became a woman to pass exam'

A trainee firefighter has been accused of jumping the queue to qualify after they failed to pass the physical exam as a man and then said they were changing gender to 'take advantage of lower pass marks' required by female candidates. 

The candidate, known as David, initially failed to pass the exam as a man by not achieving a high enough score. 

But shortly after receiving the news, it has been claimed the firefighter then announced they were changing gender. 

According to the rules in Spain, a woman can qualify by achieving a lower score in the physical tests because of the strength differences between sexes. 

It comes as Spain introduced its Trans Law last year, which allows anyone to legally change gender without medical evaluation or justification on psychological grounds.

The Times reported another candidate, Raul Asenjo, initially qualified to become a firefighter.

However, when David moved from 201st place to 101st in the ranking of candidates, Mr Asenjo was bumped down and no longer made the cut.

Now, the newspaper reported Mr Asenjo is considering taking legal action against Madrid Council which is responsible for recruitment. 

Mr Asenjo, 21, claims he lost out on the chance to become a firefighter once David said they were changing sex.

Mr Asenjo said in a statement released to Spanish media: 'I was candidate 126, the last one in the list to qualify. However, I have been moved to position 127 so out of the running as the result of the allegedly unfair and fraudulent use of the rules by one of the candidates who has been moved from position 201 to 101.'

'This candidate has claimed his status as a woman with the sole purpose of benefiting from more flexible rules [for women] and as such they advance 100 people in the selection process.'

Mr Asenjo also claims before changing sex, David had been part of an anti-feminist misogynist group for Men Who Go Their Own Way — a community which advocates for men to separate themselves from women and society.