OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
1:10 PM – Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton has broken her silence regarding the transgender athlete controversy, saying, “Male-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports. Period.”
On Monday, Hamilton, 33, shared her thoughts on X (Twitter) regarding the controversial “transgender athlete debate.” She said that she believes that transgender participation in women’s sports should be prohibited as the surfing brand, Rip Curl, recently has a new brand ambassador that is transgender.
On Monday, Hamilton wrote on X that women’s sports should prohibit transgender participation.
Last week, Rip Curl, the well-known surf brand, was condemned for presenting transgender surfer Sasha Lowerson in a marketing promotion.
Previously, Hamilton was the surf brand’s ambassador until she cut ties with them, allegedly because of her opposition to transgender surfers competing in women’s divisions.
Despite suffering life-altering injuries after being attacked by a 14-foot shark while surfing in 2003, Hamilton went on to become a professional athlete and dominates the surfing community.
However, Hamilton, who is a native of Hawaii, has declared that she would be abstaining from all World Surf League (WSL) competitions in light of the league’s contentious decision to allow transgender athletes to compete in the female division.
In a video shared to her Instagram profile last year, Hamilton announced that she would not be participating in WSL events as long as the regulation remains in place.
According to the WSL, in order for transgender athletes to compete in the women’s division, their testosterone level must remain at 5 nmol/L for a minimum of one year. In her video, Hamilton expressed her preference for the WSL to establish a new division.
“I personally think that the best solution would be to create a different division so that all can have a fair opportunity to showcase their passion and talent, and I think it’s really hard to imagine what the future of women’s surfing will be like in 15–20 years down the road if we move forward allowing this major change,” Hamilton said at the time.
Two notable athletes agreed with Hamilton’s assertion.
Julia Mancuso, an Olympic gold medalist in skiing, and Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who now contributes to OutKick, hosts the “Gaines for Girls” podcast and represents the Independent Women’s Forum, similarly offered support to Hamilton regarding the topic.
Hamilton justified her beliefs in the comments of her video.
“I was messaging with a friend who is a part of the (LGBTQ) community and I really don’t think at this point there is a solution that will please everyone,” Hamilton wrote. “There are different world views and that is part of life. I may not have the perfect answer. But I do feel the way I do and will continue to stand firm in what I shared here. I mentioned Testosterone because that is how the Olympics and World Surf League decide if you can compete as a woman.”
The argument that transgender “female” athletes unfairly benefit from an unequal competitive advantage over women has caused division in the United States in recent years. Laws protecting women’s sports have now been passed in at least 23 states.
Many parents of transgender athletes have even argued that they do not care if their gender dysphoric children are taking opportunities away from biological girls as long as it makes their own children happy to compete.
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