Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, who famously returned to her beloved sport after losing her arm in a 2003 shark attack, has called out the World Surf League’s recent decision to allow men to compete against women under the guise of transgender inclusion.
Hamilton issued her opinion on the controversial matter in a video posted to Instagram, where she asked how the WSL came to its decision and if it actually consulted female surfers.
“This concerns me as a professional athlete that has been competing in the World Surf League events for the past 15+ years,” she said. “And I feel that I must speak up and stand up for those in position that may feel that they cannot say something about this. I think many of the girls on tour are not in support of this new rule, and they fear of being ostracized if they speak up. So here I go, questions that I have I want to consider with you.”
Hamilton asked the following questions to the World Surf League:
- How is this rule playing out in other sports like swimming, running, MMA?
- Have any of the current surfers in the world surf league been asked what their thoughts and opinions are on this new rule before it was passed or announced?
- Should there be a conversation with the 17 women and all of the men on tour prior to a rule change such as this?
- Is a hormone level an honest and accurate depiction that someone indeed is a male or female? Is it as simple as this? Who is pushing for this huge change?
- Does this better the sport of surfing? Is this better for women surfing? If so, how?
- How did whoever decided these hormone rules come to the conclusion that 12 months of testing testosterone make it a fair and legal switch?
- Why is the WSL statement about trans women competing with women and yet there’s no mention of converted women competing with men?
Hamilton concluded her statement by positing that the league creates a separate division for transgender athletes to compete amongst each other “so that all can have a fair opportunity to showcase their passion and talent.” She also said she will not compete in future World Surf League events if the rule remains in place or goes unchallenged.
As Fox News reported, the World Surf League announced that it will immediately adopt the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) transgender policy for all of its tours.
“A surfer assigned male at birth who identifies as a woman and has woman/female on her national identity card or passport is eligible to compete in a men’s event or as a man in a mixed event if she has not met the requirements to compete in a woman’s event (such as maintaining testosterone level less than five nmol/l continuously for the previous 12 months),” the new rule says.
“A surfer assigned male at birth who identifies as a woman and has man/male or ‘other’ or ‘X’ on their national identity card or passport is eligible to compete in a men’s event or as a man in a mixed event,” it adds.