The legendary lesbian swimmer has changed her mind on trans people in sports
BY ELLA GAUCI,
Iconic lesbian swimmer Diana Nyad retracted comments she made previously about trans women in sports in a recent interview with Out magazine.
Known for being the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage at the age of 64, Diana wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post last year which stated that trans women shouldn’t be allowed to compete in elite sports in women’s categories. However, in her interview with Out magazine, she revealed that she has been doing “a lot of deep dive thinking”.
“I have come to understand that the science is far more complex than I thought, and there are clearly more educated experts than I who are creating policy to ensure that elite sports are both fair and inclusive of all women. I regret weighing in on that conversation and any harm I may have caused,” Diana said.
The past two years have seen several sports ban trans athletes from competing – including elite swimming’s government body FINA. In June 2022, FINA effectively banned trans women from competing in women’s categories and instead created an “open category” for trans and non-binary swimmers. In October of this year, the new category was cancelled after no one signed up to compete in it.
Diana continued in the interview to express her views on the current discourse surrounding trans rights in politics and society. “Also, in recent times, the climate for the transgender community has turned dire and dangerous,” she said. “I now see how all women are negatively affected by the ways transgender women are targeted by discrimination and abuse in sports and elsewhere.”
“I am today firmly on the side of inclusion. Trans women athletes deserve our utmost respect. I stand with them in the world of sports and in the fight for full equality for all trans people. We are all sisters and siblings under the blue sky, and we should all have equal opportunities to play the sports we choose, the sports we love.”
Diana Nyad inspired the new film Nyad which stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, detailing the journey to her groundbreaking swim. You can watch Nyad on Netflix now.
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