Female pool player Lynne Pinches refuses to play transgender opponent and walks off at start of match

[IwantToRetire]

A pool player has forfeited her chance to win a top national title in protest at the sport allowing a transgender woman to compete against natal females.

Lynne Pinches packed up her cue and walked off as the final of the Ladies Champions of Champions got under way over the weekend.

Spectators clapped and cheered Pinches’ protest while her opponent, Harriet Haynes, appeared bemused before later picking up the trophy by default.
Pinches had been among a host of top female players to speak out in recent days over transgender women being allowed to compete against them in elite competitions.

More Female pool player Lynne Pinches refuses to play transgender opponent and walks off at start of match (yahoo.com)

Maybe a man cried.

She's won massive respect.

One of the articles that I read said that they did so because they were scared/worried about the TRAs taking them to court.

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 for Lynne!

He's taken thousands in prize money too. She should play the woman he beat in the semi, have a proper final. I'm glad the crowd supported her. Fwiw she's got my support too.

Three reasons: men have a physical advantage; men have a social advantage; men are not women

Good on her. And I hope she takes the governing body to court. They caved to the wrong sex.

If this were available as a poster, I would buy it. 👏👏👏👏👏👏

According to Stella O’Malley the science is undecided on the male advantage in pool.

So why are there separate men's and women's competitions in the first place? Are women allowed to compete in the men's if they want to? What's the prize money like in each, I wonder...

I'm presuming there's a massive social advantage for men in pool. Similar to chess and darts... more chance to play when young.

So they should be separated until the science has made up its mind.

Good for her

One of the articles that I read said that they did so because they were scared/worried about the TRAs taking them to court

Yes, probably spun them some bollocks word salad about not discriminating against the gender identities and misrepresentating equality law, when all they had to do was get someone to check that female only sports where not only perfectly legal, but also essential in order to provide fair competition for actual women not mediocre, cheating men.

By letting these men play in the women's competition, they are actively discriminating against women on the basis of sex. But male feelings and 'validation' must come first eh.

Well done Lynn

Pity the rest of the woman in the tournament didn't do the same before the other player reached the final , or withdrew before it started

Well done Lynn P.

I don't see why trans female players can't stick to mens/open teams with their choice of dress, names and pronouns respected plus adequate changing facilities. The average arm length, hand size and strength must make a difference.

I wonder whether anyone applsuded when the transwoman picked up the trophy.

Or whether the organisers did a hole-in-the-corner handover with no audience present. The story does say "later".

AFAIK women are permitted to compete in the men's categories in both pool and snooker. This article is from 2014 discusses the issue of why women are under represented in relation to snooker. Interesting Steve Davis and Reanne Evans cite the mental and social differences between men and women rather than physical strength as the most important factor.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/27253279

Bit irrelevant tho isn’t it because if you let men into female category’s there’s no longer a female category is there.

Wonderful to see someone taking such a brave stand. Hope the ‘be kind’ brigade don’t send her too much hate.

‘The science’ wtf does that even mean.

Men are taller and stronger, they have bigger hands and much greater grip strength, plus they don’t have to deal with things like periods, breasts, constant sexual harassment... Of course they have an advantage in pool.

Agree.

At elite levels, a minor advantage is a major one. Women’s skeletons aren’t the same as men, including flexibility around the neck and shoulders (as well as strength and reach). Men are socially advantaged too - I have played pool in places I did not feel welcome or confident.

It's irrelevant if men have a physical advantage. If sports are separated by sex class then that is what should happen, he had the opportunity to play in the men's competition and chose not to.

Lynne you are my hero. You have stuck up for all women and girls in all sports.