World Surf League remains a bastion of freedom.
Days ago, the International Surfing
Association, recognized governing body for Olympic
surfing, released its official policy regarding transgender
athletes participation in contests that read thusly:
A surfer assigned male at birth – and/or – who identifies as
a man and has man/male on his national identity card or passport is
eligible to compete in a men’s event or as a man in a mixed
event;
A surfer assigned female at birth – and/or – who identifies
as a woman and has woman/female on her national identity card or
passport is eligible to compete in a woman’s event or as a woman in
a mixed event;
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 5 nmol/l
continuously for the previous 12 months);
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;
In order to compete in a woman’s event or as a woman in a
mixed event, where either:
A surfer who was assigned male at birth and whose gender has
changed and identifies as a woman – and/or has woman/female,
“other” or “X” – on her national identity card or
passport;
or
The athlete has otherwise been required by the executive
committee and/or medical commission to establish eligibility to
compete in a women’s event;The athlete must satisfy the ISA medical
commission that her serum testosterone concentration has been less
than 5 nmol/L continuously for the previous 12 months and meets any
other requirements reasonably set by the executive committee and/or
medical commission.
Of most note, I suppose, is the bit about testosterone
levels.
According to The
Inertia, these guidelines are “liberal” compared
to other sport governing bodies. Or, rather, other sport governing
bodies not named World Surf League which continues to have no
policy at all.
Oh, you certainly remember the thrill brought to so
many when Australia’s Sasha Jane Lowerson went on an incredible
winning streak, taking prestigious longboarding
contest after prestigious longboarding contest.
She became the first transgender surfer to ever win an event,
much less multiple, and all seemed bright aside from the snark.
The World Surf League, I suppose, now a bastion of gender
freedom as compared to the ISA.
Who would have thought?
