Tom Daley has slammed the ban on transgender swimmers from elite female competitions. Fina, swimming ’s world governing body, which also regulates diving, voted in favour of the ruling that prevents transgender athletes from competing at this level if they have gone through any part of the process of male puberty.
Speaking at the British LGBT Awards, Daley, 28, said: “I was furious. You know, like most queer people, anyone that’s told that they can’t compete or can’t do something they love just because of who they are, it’s not on. It’s something I feel really strongly about. Giving trans people the chance to share their side.”
He added: “It’s really, really difficult to figure out who you are when the public are watching and everybody is looking at you. It was a very stressful way to figure out who I am, honestly. But when you figure out who you are and you get to be comfortable with that, that’s when you start to move forward, and you can openly and outwardly and unapologetically do it, then you can really truly be free.”
