The reported inclusion of transgender women on two female college volleyball teams that played against each other last month has sparked controversy online, with some reacting angrily to the news.
The Canadian website Rebel News posted a video purportedly showing a college volleyball game between the Seneca Sting and the Centennial Colts that reportedly included five trans women as players. The website cited an unidentified "volleyball insider," who said six trans women play in the women's league governed by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, but the website did not appear to confirm whether any of the players were actually transgender.
When asked if his team was using "male players" by Rebel News' David Menzies, Centennial coach Andrew Mallory responded, "I'm not."
Some reacted with outrage on social media, including tennis star Martina Navratilova, who wrote: "Just how wrong is this? Yup, this wrong. This has to stop!"
British-Italian author and entrepreneur Paola Diana added: "This is not diversity. This is cheating. This is insanity. This is misogyny."
According to the OCAA, "trans female (MTF) student-athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria for the purposes of CCAA competition may continue to compete on a men's team but may not compete on a women's team until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment."
Centennial, Seneca Polytechnic, and the OCAA did not respond to or could not be reached for requests for comment.