A 67-year-old trans woman in England made headlines after she swam topless during a competition. Anne Isabella Coombes wore a men’s swimsuit, exposing her breasts, to protest a rule that bars her from competing against cis women.
Coombes used to swim in the women’s category, but in 2023 she was told that due to new Swim England policy, she’d now have to swim against men. The policy came from the organization’s decision to create an “open” category that includes trans women, nonbinary swimmers, and anyone not eligible for the female group.
She staged the protest during the Cornwall County Masters event. Coombes, who transitioned during the COVID lockdown at age 62, said the policy was discriminatory.
In an interview with the local press, she said: “The woman who came first was a whole length ahead of me. She broke the European record; she’s an excellent swimmer. I’m trying to emphasise that this is not a trans person coming in and nicking places from other people.”
Before the protest, she reached out to Swim England to ask what swimsuit she should wear. Coombes said: “They confirmed that I need to wear a female swimming costume despite having to compete with the men, which ‘outs’ me as a woman who is transgender. I explained to the person on the phone that they are not allowed to do that, and he didn’t have an answer.”
She had stopped swimming after the policy change but returned for this protest to make a point. She said: “To show the world that this policy isn’t thought through, and it’s meant to hit trans people and nobody else.
“There are many who say I should only compete against men because I have a man’s advantage, and that just isn’t the case. I want to make it clear through this protest that trans people are not a threat when it comes to sport.”
Swim England responded by saying that if Coombes wears a men’s swimsuit again, it will be up to the referee to decide whether it is “in good moral taste.” If they say no, she could be disqualified.
All of this comes shortly after the UK’s top court ruled that the legal definition of a “woman” is based on biological sex. That ruling triggered strong reactions from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.