American tennis star Coco Gauff said she supports transgender people while also appearing to back a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) policy protecting fairness in women’s sports.
In comments after defeating Kayla Day in the first round of the National Open in Toronto, Gauff responded to a question about her opinion of the WTA’s SRY gene-testing policy, Fox News reported. The player indicated she supports protecting women’s sports, but she also lamented the “attack” on the “trans community” associated with the cause.
She responded:
I understand the reasoning behind it. I do think that this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity toward the trans community, which I’m not really a big fan of, but I also understand the biological difference and the need to protect that and preserve that. So, I think it’s a conversation that is very nuanced and I need to have a nuanced answer.
“Yes, I guess I kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports. But I also do not like the attack that it is creating — people who don’t really care, but just want to use this as a reason to attack the trans community,” she continued. “So, I’m not really a big fan of that either. I don’t really know how to answer this question in a way that people aren’t going to spin it. But as far as where I stand, I definitely support the trans community, but I also support the need of creating fairness in sport too.”
The updated policy requires players to be screened one time for the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome, which men have, according to the report. The test is done by cheek swab, blood test, or saliva sample.
Players are eligible to play on the WTA Tour if they test negative. A positive result would lead to further medical assessment before the athlete is cleared to play, according to the report. Players are required to sign a document agreeing that refusal to undergo the testing could result in disciplinary action.
“The WTA’s women’s eligibility policy is designed to promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments,” the policy reads.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.