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?
