A trans woman forced to compete in a men’s category swimming competition protested the governing body’s trans-exclusionary policies by swimming topless.

Anne Isabella Coombes protested a policy banning her from female competitions by competing in an ‘open’ category race wearing men’s sports trunks and no bra.

The 67-year-old swimmer said Swim England, the UK’s competitive swimming regulator, told her she wasn’t eligible to compete in female category races, despite having done so in the past.

After transitioning in late 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, Coombes said Swim England allowed her to compete in female competitions after she petitioned to do so in 2022.

But after the regulator published a new policy bannings trans women from female competitions, she was forced to compete in the newly created ‘open’ category, which replaced the male category.

Published in 2023, the policy, which the governing body said it believed was “justified and proportionate”, puts a blanket bans competitors who have a “birth sex of male” from competing in female categories.

All competitors who do not have a “birth sex of female” are instead put into the ‘open’ category, which Swim England said includes “male, trans, or non-binary competitors.” It does not clarify whether trans men, whose “birth sex” is female, would be able to compete in female competitions.

Coombes told Reading Chronicle she refused to compete in any competitions until this year after Swim England told her she would have to wear a female costume while swimming in the ‘Open’ category – effectively outing her as a trans woman.

“I asked them what costume I was supposed to wear, as there are rules around how much fabric can be on your body,” she explained. 

“They confirmed that I need to wear a female swimming costume despite having to compete with the men, which ‘outs’ me as a woman who is transgender. 

“I explained to the person on the phone that they are not allowed to do that, and he didn’t have an answer.”

She was told by Swim England that she does not need to ask for approval from a referee to wear “male” swimwear, but that they would be within their right to disqualify her.

“I’m trying to show that this policy isn’t thought through, and it’s meant to hit trans people and nobody else,” Coombes continued.

“There are many who say I should only compete against men because I have a man’s advantage, and that just isn’t the case.”

There is no concrete evidence that suggests trans women have an inherent advantage against cisgender women in competitive activities.

In May, trans protestors staged a topless demonstration outside Scottish Parliament, voicing their opposition to Holyrood MSP’s support of a UK Supreme Court ruling that argued the 2010 Equality Act’s definition of women related to “biological women.”

The protestors staged the demonstration to prove that, regardless of the ruling, trans women are held to the standards of women, because they are women.

Sugar, one of the protestors, said it was a “public act of grief, resistance, and solidarity.”

“If the Supreme Court can see these women legally as men, then they’ll have zero issue with them going tops off,” she said.

The post Trans woman swims topless in protest at being forced to swim with men appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.