But opposition! "Women’s sports is not a backup
plan where you can’t win a trophy (and $) in the men’s
division."
Through the middle of last year surf fans were gifted the
rare sight
of a transgender woman tearing hell through the women’s long
boarding league over there in Western Australia.
Sasha Jane Lowerson, a svelte forty five year old with terrific
arms, transitioned into womanhood in 2020 shortly after winning the
men’s longboard div as Ryan Egan and didn’t look back, adding a new
trophy ever other weekend it seemed to a mantlepiece already
groaning with trophies.
“Trans-girls aren’t going to take over the world, we just want
to be included, we’re humans too,” Lowerson said. “I’ve been hiding
in this male shell up… for 42 years. To still be made to be
that guy that I’m not, it’s shattering,”
A feel-good story for the times.
Surfing’s reactionary core was laid bare, however, when Momentum
Generation funnyman and Kelly Slater bandmate Peter King waded into
the trans-athlete imbroglio saying,
“Stay out of women’s sports where you miraculously win after
being an average performing man. Women’s sports is not a backup
plan where you can’t win a trophy (And $) in the men’s division.
Leagues like WSL and sponsors like Red Bull will you now stand up
to this now instead of harming women’s sports?”
Kelly Slater added, “Make a trans division and we don’t have
this confusion.”
Of course, when Lowerson failed to win the Australian longboard title,
the media was conspicuously silent.
“It’s pretty amazing the message that you guys the media send to
us all!” Lowerson wrote in an Instagram DM. “I just finished fourth
in the Australian titles and nothing but the sound of crickets!
Listen, I am happy that there isn’t disgusting skewed opinions
being published about my inclusion. However, I’m sure as two
well-educated men that you two are, both of you can surely see the
irony of what I’m pointing out right now! The press love to chant
about how it’s only unfair when we (trans-athletes) win!”
Now, the World Surf League, has tentatively opened the door to
trans-women competing so long as they’ve been a gal for at least
twelve months and their hormone levels are real low ie less than 5
nanomoles per liter continuously for the previous 12 months
(biological men hover between 10 and 35, bio-gals under three),
although the WSL won’t be doing the testing.
Instead, each athlete will supply their own supporting
documents.
“The WSL is working hard to balance equity and fairness and it’s
important for a policy to be in place,” the WSL’s newly anointed Chief of
Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer told the oft-controversial adult learner
surfer website The Inertia. “We recognize that the policy may need
to evolve over time as we get feedback and see new research in the
field.”
Now, again, one more time, and more importantly, and since we
couldn’t agree last two times, what are your favourite
tranny-themed movies?
Or, perhaps closer to home, describe your favourite encounter
with this exotic species?
