Cate Campbell, an Australian Olympic champion, has supported Fina’s vote to restrict transgender women from competing in elite female swimming competitions, stating that she “wrestled long and hard” with her views on the divisive issue before concluding that fairness is a “cornerstone” of professional sport.
The policy shift has been criticized by transgender advocacy organizations, and swimmer Maddie Groves described it as “discriminatory and unscientific.”
On Monday at the world championships in Budapest, 71 percent of the global governing body’s 152 national federations voted in favor of proposed new rules stating that male-to-female transgender athletes could now only compete in the women’s division if they had not undergone the physical aspects of male puberty.
It also pledged to establish a working group to establish an “open” category for trans women who do not meet the new requirements to race as female.
Fina heard testimony from scientists, attorneys, and elite female athletes, including Campbell, before voting.
In her address, Campbell expressed her belief in inclusion and reflected on her move to Australia from Malawi at the age of nine. The four-time Olympic gold medalist expressed her desire for transgender and gender-diverse individuals to “be a part of the larger swimming community.”
Ultimately, she stated that women’s fight to “be included and viewed as equals in sport” was only possible because of the gender category distinction and that removing it “would be detrimental to all female athletes.”
Campbell told the congress, “We recognize, value, and accept you.” “However, it is also my responsibility to stand here, having requested that our international governing body, Fina, investigate, deliberate, and uphold the principle of fairness in elite women’s competition.
“It pains me that this aspect of my position has the potential to harm, anger, and alienate members of an already marginalized trans community.
“Believe me, I’ve struggled arduously with myself over what to say and do. Regardless of what I say, I am aware that my actions and words will offend some individuals, whether they are members of the transgender community or the cisgender female community.
“However, I am requesting that everyone take a moment to inhale and exhale before reacting. Listen to the experts and scientists. Listen to the individuals who have taken the floor to describe how challenging it has been to reconcile inclusion and fairness.”
“It cannot be disputed that men and women are physiologically different. Only recently have we begun to investigate and comprehend the origins of these physiological differences and the long-term effects of exposure to different hormones.
Women, who have fought long and hard to be included and regarded as equals in sports, are only able to do so due to the gender category distinction. Eliminating this distinction would be detrimental to all female athletes.”
Groves tweeted her opinions on Monday, partially quoting the conclusion of Campbell’s speech: “It is also my hope that a young gender-diverse child can walk into a swimming club and feel the same level of acceptance as a nine-year-old African immigrant child did all those years ago.”
Groves replied, “So you prohibit them from competing against their peers?” Do you approve of stigmatizing an already marginalized group? Genuine acceptance
“There are already transgender swimmers, and I’m guessing they don’t feel very accepted right now.” Everyone who supported this discriminatory and unscientific decision should be ashamed.”
LGBTIQ lobbying, advocacy, and campaign organization Just. Equal demanded that Fina “reconsider the decision.”
Sally Goldner, an advisor for Just. Equal, stated, “The decision to segregate transgender women to their lane in the pool means they cannot compete at an elite level because they will be competing against themselves.”
We question the secrecy of the process and ask if transgender people were consulted about their lives or if this decision was imposed on us without consultation.
Swimming Australia, on the other hand, praised Fina for its “comprehensive process” in forming the policy, the clarity it provides regarding all Fina-recognized competitions and world records, and its commitment to creating an open competition category.
“Swimming Australia supports a competitive environment that is fair and equitable for all high-performance athletes, and we believe that this new policy reflects that position,” the organization said in a statement.
“We also firmly believe that all swimmers should have the opportunity to experience the sport in a manner consistent with their gender identity and expression. It is our obligation and responsibility to continue learning and educating ourselves about the appropriate balance in this space.”
Meanwhile, Seebohm was “just thankful that we have a decision at last.” She told the Nine Network, “We have an objective.” “We will create a category for transgender athletes; we are not saying no.”
Seebohm stated that swimmers found it challenging to speak publicly about “such a difficult topic.” “Because you fear canceling culture, right? That is now a widespread phenomenon. “If you make one mistake, it’s game over,” she said.
“I believe it was a matter of ‘let’s stand up’ once an Australian athlete said something. We all share the same sentiment, but we were all too timid to speak up at first.”
During the last election, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, implicitly supported and criticized the Coalition’s handling of the trans women in sports debate.
This is one of the reasons why this issue should not have been politicized during the last federal election campaign, according to Albanese. “It is explicitly stated in the guidelines that it is the responsibility of sporting organizations. They will base their decisions on their evaluations, which is appropriate. We shouldn’t use vulnerable people or place them in situations where one political party or another attempts to gain political advantage.”
