Transgender Pool Player Loses UK Discrimination Claim in Fair Competition Ruling

Harriet Haynes, a transgender professional pool player, lost her legal battle against the English Blackball Pool Federation's (EBPF) policy banning individuals not born female from women’s competitions, a ruling that applies the UK Supreme Court’s new legal definition of a woman as biologically female. The court found the policy necessary to ensure fair competition, citing physiological advantages male-born players may have in pool, such as higher break speed and physical attributes. The judge ruled exclusion of transgender women from women’s events was the only reasonable way to achieve fairness, dismissing Haynes' claim of direct discrimination and emotional distress. Haynes has expressed disappointment and is considering an appeal, maintaining she does not believe she has an unfair advantage despite undergoing male puberty. This case is the first legal test of the revised definition of womanhood following a Supreme Court decision in April, marking a significant moment in UK sports law. Meanwhile, similar policies excluding transgender women from women’s sports have been enacted in the U.S., including a recent ban by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee aligned with President Donald Trump’s executive order, generating both support and criticism from women’s rights advocates.