Transgender pool player Harriet Haynes has secured permission to appeal a decision barring her from women’s competitions. The English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) imposed the ban last April on competitors born male, prompting Haynes to file a lawsuit alleging direct discrimination based on her gender reassignment.
Landmark Initial Ruling
In August, Haynes lost her discrimination claim against the EBPF in a significant UK court decision. The judgment marked the first application of the legal definition of a woman as biologically female, established following a Supreme Court ruling. His Honour Judge Parker determined that pool qualifies as a gender-affected activity, where excluding those born male from the women’s category ensures fair competition.
Appeal Permission Granted
Haynes sought permission from the High Court to challenge the ruling, which Mr Justice Ritchie has now approved. This development poses a challenge for the EBPF, which funded its defense through crowdfunding.
EBPF’s Position and Advantages Cited
The EBPF expressed satisfaction with the original decision and invites transgender players to compete in its open category. The organization maintains that individuals born male who underwent male puberty possess physical edges in cue sports, such as greater break-building speed, larger hand span for bridging shots, and extended reach.
An EBPF spokesperson stated: “The court found that pool is a game in which men have an advantage over women and that allowing only those born as women to compete in our women’s competitions is necessary to secure fair competition.”
Haynes’ Perspective
Haynes expressed surprise at the ban, asserting she holds no unfair advantage despite transitioning after male puberty. She stated: “All I’ve ever wanted is to be able to play like any other woman.”
Context of Protests and Other Cases
Protests erupted last year when Haynes faced Lucy Smith, another transgender player, in the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 at a Wigan leisure center. A competitor had forfeited a 2023 final against Haynes in protest over her participation.
Haynes’ appeal joins another active legal challenge: an anonymous transgender cricketer’s claim against the England and Wales Cricket Board at Cardiff County Court.
