Female pool player 'takes a stand' and refuses to play against trans opponent in final of tournament
14 November 2023, 19:14
A female pool player has "taken a stand" and refused to play against a trans woman in the final of a tournament.
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Lynne Pinches refused to play against Harriet Haynes at a Ladies Champions of Champions event in Denbighshire, Wales.
Footage shared online showed her approaching the referee to inform him of her decision and therefore forfeiting the game.
She could then be seen returning to her seat and packing up her cue before leaving the arena.
Meanwhile, her opponent went on to be awarded the trophy by default.
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Following the incident, Ms Pinches' brother, Barry, praised his sister for "taking a stand", saying "she feels it's so unfair to have to compete against a trans woman".
"I completely agree with her view that it is totally unfair to expect women to compete against trans women in pool or any other sport for that matter," he said in a social media post.
He went on to say: "For the record this post is about fairness in women's sport, that is all.
"I have no problem whatsoever if somebody wants to identify themselves as whatever they want to be and I have nothing against Harriet Haynes.Peace and goodwill to all."
It comes after the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF), changed the rules around trans players participating in female tournaments at the end of October.
The WEPF initially said in August that "events will be exclusively open to individuals who are born female".
But it later u-turned on the decision, releasing an update on "competition eligibility for transgender and non-binary players" which said there would be no discrimination on the grounds of gender identity.
