Two transgender people played in the women’s billiards final in Britain: why it caused protests
8 April 2025 12:13
Two transgender players met in the final of a professional women’s pool tournament in the UK. This caused a wave of protests and outrage among players and fans, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing The Telegraph.
Harriet Gaines and Lucy Smith competed in the final of the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 tournament in Wigan, UK. The two male-born players defeated four female opponents on their way to the final.
During the competition, protests took place in the hall. Demonstrators held signs that read “Save women’s sports” and “He’s a man,” shouting “He’s a man and we support Lynn Pinches.” Pinches is a player who refused to play the final match against Gaines in 2023 to protest the participation of transgender athletes in women’s competitions.
“When you play against a transgender player, even if you win, it doesn’t matter, because in your heart you know it’s not fair,”
– said Pinches in an interview with TalkTV.
Piers Morgan, a well-known TV presenter, called the event “ridiculous” and accused the organizers of “fraud” in his post on social media. Former Olympic swimmer Sharon Davis called the situation “absolutely ridiculous and extremely wrong.”
Gaines, who eventually won the tournament, had previously defended her right to compete in the women’s category:
“Transgender women are not a threat to the pool. We don’t come in droves… there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Currently, the English Pool Association (EPA) and the World Endurance Pool Federation (WEPF) allow transgender athletes to compete without restrictions, although the EPA’s rules for transgender athletes are under review from December 2023.
Lawsuits
The organizers of the Ultimate Pool tournament stated that due to ongoing litigation, they are unable to comment on this particular situation at this time.
Pincis is one of the players who have taken the first step toward launching a landmark lawsuit over rules that force them to play against transgender opponents. She and three other players are accusing the sport’s billiard governing body of discriminating against real biological women at birth.
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Why men have an advantage in billiard sports
Men are believed to have an advantage because of factors such as body strength and arm length, which helps them create a more powerful smash. Their larger physique also allows them to perform more complex shots across the table, and their larger hand, which forms a “bridge,” provides better opportunities for a variety of hitting techniques.
Who are transgender people?
Transgender people are individuals whose gender identity (internal sense of self) does not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth. The term includes people who were born with male anatomy but identify as female (trans women), those who were born with female anatomy but identify as male (trans men), and people with non-binary gender identities.
Many transgender people go through a process of transition to align their bodies and social status with their gender identity. This transition may include hormone therapy, surgical procedures, document changes, and social adaptation. The issue of transgender people’s participation in sports remains a subject of active public and scientific debate in different countries of the world. In this particular case, the British media did not report what kind of transition the transgender players had made.
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