A parent and a school “inclusion” officer have complained to a swimming competition after a ten-year-old girl was disqualified from the boy’s race. They say the child is transgendered, and should be able to compete in whatever race she feels like.
The child, who is also autistic, was only “born” a girl they say, and by ten years of age had “identified” as a boy.
She now dresses as and boy, uses male pronouns and is treated as male at her progressive school in the Swansea Bay area, Wales. Some British local authorities officially “encourage” transgenderism in primary schools, with funding courtesy of local police forces.
However, the mother of the transgendered girl was very “disappointed” when her daughter was disqualified after racing in a boy’s swimming gala race and coming second.
She believes her daughter was disqualified because judges at the Urdd Swimming Gala held at Llanelli Leisure Centre “outed” her daughter as transgendered.
“I have no other words other than ‘disappointed’,” she told the South Wales Evening Post. “I can only commend the staff at the school — they did everything they could do to protect the children.”
However, the event organisers said the child had been disqualified for wearing a full body “skin” swimsuit and for a technical fault.
“When you find a transgender bathing suit, let me know, and I’ll go out and buy one,” added the mother. “He is not going to go into the girls’ race because he is not a girl.”
The “head of inclusion” at the girls primary school said: “It’s important that he has the opportunity to take part and we felt it appropriate to raise it with the relevant bodies.
“From an inclusion point of view we were dissatisfied with the decision, and wish to prevent this from happening again.”
“This is a child that for the first time has felt included, so for them to disqualify him is ridiculous”.
The mother continued: “The most important thing is to get him back into the water — because of the autism, swimming is a sport that he doesn’t really have to get involved with other people to take part.
“The importance of swimming to him is massive and this was the first time he has had the confidence to enter into the water for a competition, and then this happens. I don’t care about the competition — it’s the principle.”
A spokeswoman for the Urdd Gala said: “During our swimming gala the child competed in two races. In the butterfly race he was disqualified on two accounts — for wearing a ‘skin’, which is not allowed under our normal rules and also for a technical fault.
“After considering the facts, the Urdd reversed the disqualification for the ‘skin’, but can’t reverse the disqualification for the technical fault.
“The Urdd will make sure that no child faces prejudice for whatever reason, and if a change in the rules needs to be done to accommodate a particular child, we would always encourage teachers and parents to contact us in advance to discuss individual circumstances.
“The Urdd will also discuss this in future with Swim Wales.”
A spokeswoman for Swim Wales said: “As part of British Swimming, Swim Wales have adopted their transgender policy, and in light of this matter will ensure the Urdd is aware of the policy and request it is adopted/used for their swimming events.”
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