Pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton's past comments about transgender individuals in sports have sparked a boycott of an upcoming women's event in Wisconsin.
Over the past several months, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the inclusion of transgender individuals into different sports categories. At least 20 U.S. states have imposed legislation that bans transgender women from competing in female sports categories, with many conservatives arguing that transgender women have an advantage over biological females.
On Tuesday, WLUK-TV in Wisconsin obtained a letter signed by dozens of community members in Oshkosh criticizing a decision by the Women's Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation to name Hamilton as a keynote speaker for the 2024 Power of the Purse event.
"For those who may not be aware, Bethany Hamilton announced in February 2023 that she refuses to compete in World Surf League events in response to their decision to adopt the International Surfing Association (ISA) policy on transgender participation," the letter said. "Bethany Hamilton wants transgender surfers to be segregated into a separate athletic division. Currently, there are no transgender athletes competing in the World Surf League, and only one transgender athlete, Australian longboard surfer Sasha Jane Lowerson, has ever won a professional surfing competition."
"Bethany Hamilton's boycott is not motivated by concerns about athlete safety or maintaining the integrity of a professional sport. Bethany Hamilton simply does not personally want to accept transgender women as women," the letter added.
The authors of the letter went on to state that they look forward "to the day we can celebrate, positively amplify, and support this event," and called for the removal of Hamilton as the speaker.
"Once the Women's Fund has removed and replaced Bethany Hamilton as keynote speaker for this and any future events and issued a public statement of apology to the LGBTQ+ community, we stand ready to accept that apology, end our objections, and extend our sincere wishes for their and your continued success."
In 2023, Hamilton posted a video on social media responding to a policy by the World Surfing League championships that would allow transgender women to compete in the female surfing category if they can show a specific level of testosterone, USA Today previously reported.
"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," Hamilton said, adding that she would not compete if the policy stands. Newsweek reached out to Hamilton via social media for comment.
The letter sent by community members said that the decision by the Women's Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation to name Hamilton as a speaker "contradicts their mission statement."
"A decision to platform and promote a self-avowed trans-exclusionist is an unacceptable choice for any organization to make, but most especially a community-funded nonprofit that claims to be supportive of 'all women and girls,'" the letter said. "Either the Women's Fund does not believe that transgender women and girls qualify for inclusion in their (evidently limited and conditional) definition of 'all,' or they have decided it is more financially lucrative to consider them expendable."
In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Women's Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation said, "We want to first stress that we have enormous respect for our LGBTQ+ community and allies, and the voices who shared their views on the rights of transgender athletes. We look forward to continuing to engage in these important conversations as we champion mutual understanding and empathy as the key to strengthening our local communities and beyond.
"Over the years, the Women's Fund Power of the Purse event has hosted a wide range of powerful speakers from all backgrounds whose diverse experiences and perspectives have imparted impactful lessons of hope, and perseverance—and Bethany Hamilton is no different," the statement said. "Although her scheduled appearance has been met with some criticism due to her reported personal views on transgender athletes—a stance unknown to us at the time nor the focus of her appearance—we still very much believe her inspirational message of determination and resilience can transcend our differences."
Update 1/17/24, 12:29 P.M. EST: This story has been updated with further information.
Update 1/19/24, 3:51 P.M. EST: This story has been updated with a statement from the Women's Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
