British billiards body revises transgender policy after backlash

After protests and pushback from female athletes across various sports, the U.K.’s Ultimate Pool has revised its transgender athlete policy to exclude males from its women’s division.

The change, announced Thursday, comes as more women are speaking out against males competing in women’s sports. From local protests to national headlines, female athletes have been pushing back on policies they say put them at a disadvantage and undermine the integrity of their sports.

The billiards organization said it consulted with experts on the issue before its policy change.

“The clear conclusion of the biological and cue sports expert who jointly authored the report was that eightball pool was a gender affected sport and that in cue sports female players have unique disadvantages compared to male players and that transgender women retain male advantages,” the organization’s website says.

The governing body also expressed empathy for those who identify as transgender.

“We respect that some people within the pool community may find the changes challenging,” it posted on X. “As an organisation, we are committed to being empathetic to all members of our community and we expect all members of our community to reflect this.”

The policy change comes after Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, two male competitors, faced off in the championship round of an Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series event earlier this month.  

Haynes beat Smith and received the British equivalent of $2,300 in prize money. 

Protesters who attended the event held signs saying, “Save women’s sport” and “He’s a man,” as reported by The Lion. 

Ultimate Pool’s new policy will restrict the women’s division to biological females and create an open division for everyone else. 

Women’s sports advocates support Ultimate Pool’s policy change but are still upset about the previous unfairness. 

HeCheated.org reacted to the news on X by posting, “The ‘Women’s Series’ is now for women. Imagine that.” 

XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey expressed a similar sentiment. 

“The female players in the league raised their voices,” she posted on X. “Now women’s pool is for women again. The men’s category is open. No one is banned. And yes men have advantages in pool.” 

Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies was less charitable.  

“Shame on you for being such cowards and betraying your female players,” she posted in a reply to Ultimate Pool.