On February 3, the World Surf League (WSL) announced a new policy allowing transgender women to compete in its women’s category. The news was quietly rolled out until the following day when Bethany Hamilton publicly opposed the new WSL policy that the surfing world really took notice. This set off a for lack of a better term, a shit storm on social media with both sides of the debate shouting into the ether on the comments section.

We wanted to have a more nuanced and thoughtful conversation about this topic with friends who have first hand experience and knowledge.

We are so lucky and grateful to have our friends from Benny’s Club, Joanie Capetta, and Momo Otani-Hudes on the show to help us have a more meaningful conversation about trans inclusion in surfing. We discuss the merits of the policy, the messaging of the WSL and why inclusion matters.

For more information about Benny's Club go to: www.Bennysclub.com
or you can follow them on Instagram @bennys.club


For more information on Trans Inclusion sporting policy check out the following links:

• https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/four-myths-about-trans-athletes-debunked
• https://www.genderjustice.us/get-the-facts-trans-equity-in-sports/
• https://www.hrc.org/resources/get-the-facts-about-transgender-non-binary-athletes
• https://www.americanprogress.org/article/fact-sheet-importance-sports-participation-transgender-youth/

The Swell Season Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network.
www.swellseasonsurfradio.com

Music:
Opening Song: We Exist
Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: Reflektor