Elena King

My (pretty little) knee got pulled out of its socket by a transgender woman in a rugby match, which caused my MCL and ACL to completely tear apart. 

A transgender woman who has gone through the whole male puberty is allowed to play because of the Dutch Rugby Association. They allow transgender women to play in a contact sport like rugby because they put inclusivity above our safety. 

My hope for this website is that it will allow people to see that womens spaces ought to be protected and prevent any other woman from getting injured in sports because of institutions allowing transgender women to play. 

I would like to make clear that this website is for the safety of women in sports, and not about hatred towards the transgender community. That is not my intention at all. I truly feel everyone, no matter what gender(fluidity) they present themselves as, have the right to enjoy the game of rugby and other sports. However, trans women are stuck, and remain, in a male’s body which causes dangerous and unfair situations in sports. This is why institutions must protect womens spaces and should create a new different league for transwomen to play sports, where it’s equal and safe.

I hope my injury can help towards a better future for women’s sports and spaces. And bring awareness to what happens when institutions let transgenders play in a contact sport. This is not about medals or trophies but about serious injuries to our bodies. I hope we can create a future where we don’t have to worry about being labeled as transphobic when talking about safety and our own spaces. And even more important, a future where we don’t have to worry about getting hurt by someone with male strength when we only want to play the sport we so love.

I am doing this for my past self who feels like the rugby pitch is her home, and for all other girls and women in sports, especially a contact sport like rugby. I do not ever want any other woman to feel male strength be used against them in sports and feel like they just have to accept it due to inclusivity and the age we live in today. I do not want anyone else to feel victim shamed by their sports association for asking how this was allowed to happen. I don’t know how many women and girls have been injured by transgenders in sports before me but I know I don’t want this to ever happen to anyone else in the future. I want this to stop with me and my pretty little knee.