Anne Isabella Coombes, a 67-year-old trans woman, swam topless at the Cornwall County Masters swim meet to protest being forced by Swim England to compete against cisgender men in an “open” category.
Despite previously competing in the female category in 2022 and 2023, Coombes was reclassified and placed into the new open division, introduced in September 2023 to replace the men’s category, and was told she must wear women’s swimwear, even though she would be racing alongside men.
“They confirmed I need to wear a female swimming costume … that ‘outs’ me as a woman who is transgender,” Coombes said. She noted the lack of clear answers from the governing body and highlighted the discriminatory nature of the policy.
Her topless protest highlighted Swim England’s vague rules, which state that referees may decide if swimwear meets the standard of “good moral taste.” Coombes argued that such discretion creates unequal treatment and opens her up to potential disqualification—an issue no cis swimmer faces.
“I’m trying to show the world that this policy isn’t thought through, and it’s meant to hit trans people and nobody else,” she said, adding that trans athletes are not dominating competitions. She pointed out that in her races, she hadn’t beaten any cis male swimmers.
Wider Concerns Over Sports Inclusion
Swim England’s policy is part of a broader trend where sports bodies across the UK and elsewhere are limiting trans women’s access to women’s categories. Proponents argue these changes ensure fairness, but critics say they subject athletes to discrimination and reinforce harmful stereotypes about trans people in sport.
Coombes has also been active in protests against recent legal interpretations that define “woman” based on biological sex under the UK’s Equality Act. While trans people still retain anti-discrimination protections, the decision allows for their exclusion from gender-specific spaces.
“Most trans people just want to get on with their lives and be treated as the gender they are,” Coombes said. “But given the recent legal rulings, we need to stand up and say, ‘I’m trans, I exist, and you’re not going to silence me.’ Existence is resistance.”
