Latest news with #EnglishBlackballPoolFederation
BBC News
02-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Transgender pool player loses discrimination case
A transgender pool player has lost a discrimination claim against one of the sport's English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) banned players who were not born biologically female from its women's competitions and teams in August player Harriet Haynes took the organisation to court, saying the rule was "direct discrimination" against her on the grounds of her gender a court judge has said he is satisfied exclusion was the only "reasonable" way to ensure "fair competition" and dismissed her representatives said they were disappointed with the decision and are weighing up whether to landmark ruling follows a legal definition of a woman by the UK Supreme Court in April as someone who is biologically female under equalities Equality Act provides protection against discrimination on the basis of various characteristics, including "sex" and "gender reassignment".His Honour Judge Parker said pool is a "gender-affected activity" and that excluding those born as male from the female category was necessary to "secure fair competition". The EBPF said it was delighted by the decision and that it welcomes transgender players in its 'open' argued that players who were born male and went through male puberty have specific physical advantages in cue sports, such as an ability to generate higher break speed, greater hand span to bridge over balls and a longer reach.A spokesperson said: "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."In her claim, Haynes said her exclusion from the Kent Women's A pool team had caused her distress and upset, and she had been subjected to hurtful comments on social also claimed the policy violated the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to respect for an individual's private and family the EBPF said the rule did not discriminate against her on the grounds of gender reassignment as "she was born male".Matt Champ, senior associate at Colman Coyle, who represented Haynes, said: "We are reflecting on the judgment and our next steps which will include whether or not we appeal."In January 2024, Haynes said she received "vile" and "horrific" abuse online after her opponent Lynn Pinches refused to play her and conceded the Women's Champion of Champions final in has argued that transgender players have competed in female categories for 20 years, and that there was no categoric evidence they have an advantage in cue sports.
New York Post
02-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Trans pool player loses court battle in first test case of UK's new legal definition of ‘woman'
A transgender pool champion has lost a legal battle to overturn a ban on players who were not born female from competing in women-only events. Harriet Haynes, 35, sued the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) in April after it excluded transgender women such as herself from ladies' county tournaments. But today the EBPF announced it has won the case at Canterbury Court and Haynes has been ordered to pay their legal costs. Advertisement 3 Harriet Haynes lost a battle to compete in women-only pool tournaments. @HarrietHaynes90/Twitter The ruling is the first to apply the new legal definition of a woman as someone who is biologically female, which was brought in after a British Supreme Court decision in April. The professional pool player, from Faversham, Kent, first competed as a woman in 2015 – but since August 2023 has been unable to play for her county's ladies team due to the new rules. Advertisement Haynes began her claim stating that the change in criteria has caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and amounts to discrimination. She also argued that players assigned male at birth have no advantage over female-born players in a sport that relies mostly on accuracy and precision. However, the EBPF argued that transgender women have, on average, a higher break speed than players assigned female at birth. It also claimed that male-born players benefit from greater hand span, stronger fingers, and longer limbs, making it easier for them to play particular shots. Advertisement His Honor Judge Parker ruled in favor of the EBPF, agreeing that it is a 'gender-affected activity' and that excluding transgender women would 'secure fair competition'. 3 Haynes argued that male players have no advantage over biological females. @HarrietHaynes90/Twitter An EBPF spokesperson said of the win: 'We are delighted to announce that Harriet Haynes' discrimination claim against the EBPF has been dismissed and Harriet has been ordered to pay our costs. '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. Advertisement 'The EBPF was the only one of three pool organisations to stand our ground when threatened with Harriet's claim. The claim was brought against Paul and Anna personally and was a very stressful experience for them. At one point, Harriet's solicitor said that Paul's and Anna's 'houses and lives' were potentially on the line. 'We would like to thank everyone who has supported us. We would also like to reiterate that the EBPF welcomes transgender women in our Open category.' Haynes is an expert player of English eight-ball pool and a trans woman, with a gender recognition certificate issued under Britain's Gender Reassignment Act 2004. The EBPF, represented by lawyers from J.R. Levin, argued that Haynes was not discriminated against for being transgender, as if she was a trans-man he would have been able to compete. The defence also claimed that pool is a 'gender-affected activity' and so the revised rules were 'necessary to secure fair competition'. EBPF Chairman Paul Thomson added: 'I am very grateful to Anna Goodwin and Jim Goodwin for all the help in this case, without them I think the midnights talks and Jim calling me the second husband because ANNA would be calling me all hours, those countless conversations kept us on the path to do what was right for our organisation, and most importantly got us through the most difficult time in my role as chairman of this wonderful organisation. 3 The court ruled that excluding transgender women would secure fair competition. EPA / SWNS Advertisement 'Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would end up in court representing this organization as chairman, it's been a difficult few years but most who know me will tell you that I would do the right thing when representing this organization, and I am not easily intimidated. But most importantly we as an organization would conduct ourselves throughout the diversity with professionalism 'I can honestly say I am glad it's all over and we can get back to planning for this organization, I would also like thank all the Female section for supporting us and everyone who contributed to the go-fund to help with case it really means a lot, your support has carried so much weight for me and Anna, I speak for both of us when I say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pool body sued by transgender player forced to crowdfund money for defence
A pool federation being sued by a transgender player it banned from women's events is crowdfunding to pay for its defence. The English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) says the legal costs involved would 'possibly prove beyond our means'. Harriet Haynes has taken the EBPF to court after it changed its eligibility criteria in August 2023 to stop those born male playing on its female tour and in its county tournaments. The case is being heard this week at Canterbury County Court, with Haynes claiming the EBPF's move amounted to discrimination that had caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and 'injured feelings'. The EBPF launched a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for its defence on the Go Get Funding website – and had raised more than £6,600 by Wednesday morning. On a page entitled 'Help us defend our female blackball competitions from litigation', the EBPF described itself as a 'non-profit' sports federation 'wholly run by volunteers'. Stating 'the cost of defending our stance for fair play will be substantial and possibly prove beyond our means', it added of its rule change: 'We made this decision in the interests of fairness, because we believe that people who have gone through male puberty have a competitive advantage over biological women. 'As a consequence of this decision, we are being sued by the transgender player Harriet Haynes. Harriet says that the eligibility rules for the female tour are discriminatory on the grounds of gender reassignment. We say that the rules are necessary to secure fair competition and a justified means of promoting female participation in the game. 'We are disappointed that Harriet has chosen to sue an organisation made up entirely of volunteers who give up their time to promote the game of pool in England, but we stand by our decision, and we intend to defend the claim.' The crowdfunding page was created by the EBPF's chairman, Paul Thomson, and secretary, Anna Goodwin, who were in court on Tuesday defending its position. Thomson told Canterbury County Court that the governing body made its decision following an 'unreal' number of complaints from players. The court was told that about 15 to 20 anonymous written complaints had been passed to Goodwin but Thomson said many more had been raised personally with members of the EBPF's executive committee. Thomson also said that Haynes was not allowed to play in EBPF events purely because of 'the fact Harriet is a biological male'. He explained: 'I think the subject was kind of taboo to a certain degree. In this day and age, you can't come out and say what you want to say, because you get called a bigot or transphobic.' When asked by Haynes's counsel, Robin White, why he had not consulted with transgender players before changing the EBPF's rules, Thomson replied: 'What about the hundreds and hundreds of other women that it affected, am I just supposed to ignore that? 'We had loads of complaints. The amount of complaints was unreal.' He added: 'As a pool player, I know that males are far superior than what women are at playing pool.' Goodwin told the court the EBPF's men's category was made into an 'open section' to make it inclusive of all those born male. She said the decision had been made 'because we didn't think it was fair on our female players', adding: 'We didn't exclude transgender people. We made a section in the open section for them to play.' What is thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind brought by a transgender athlete in the UK could prove a landmark case in pool and beyond over rules designed to stop those born male taking part in female-only competitions. A hearing began on Monday, the day after Haynes and Lucy Smith, who is also transgender, faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Sunday. Their match prompted protests from demonstrators who shouted, 'He's a man and we stand stand with Lynne Pinches', and held up banners saying 'Save women's sport' and 'He's a man' as Haynes walked past. Credit: X / @JeanHatchet Pinches is the player who forfeited a 2023 final in protest at the participation of Haynes and is part of a separate legal action against the Ultimate Pool Group and World Eightball Pool Federation over their refusal to ban transgender women from their own events. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Transgender pool player Harriet Haynes suing governing body over ban
The transgender pool champion at the centre of angry protests over her playing in women's events is suing one of her sport's governing bodies for banning her from female-only competitions. Harriet Haynes, who on Sunday won a professional women's tournament after beating another trans player in the final, is in court this week after taking legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF). It follows an August 2023 change to the EBPF's eligibility criteria to allow only those born female to play on its ladies' tour and county tournaments, a move Haynes says amounted to discrimination that had caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and 'injured feelings'. The rule change left Haynes, who first competed in an EBPF event as a woman in 2015, unable to play for the Kent ladies' team and she is seeking damages at Canterbury County Court. What is thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind brought by a trans athlete in the UK could prove a landmark case in pool and beyond, over rules designed to stop those born male taking part in female-only competitions. A hearing began on Monday, the day after Haynes and Lucy Smith faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Sunday. Their match drew protests from demonstrators who shouted 'He's a man and we stand with Lynne Pinches' and held up banners saying 'Save women's sport' and 'He's a man' as Haynes walked past. Pinches is the player who forfeited a 2023 final in protest at the participation of Haynes and is part of a separate legal action against the Ultimate Pool Group and World Eightball Pool Federation over their refusal to ban trans women from their own events. Credit: X / @JeanHatchet The EBPF, meanwhile, argues those born male have, on average, a higher break speed than female-born players. It also claims that male-born players benefit from greater hand span, stronger fingers and longer limbs, making it easier for them to play particular shots. The governing body is represented at this week's court hearing by Sarah Crowther KC, who told the proceedings on Monday that female-born players were, on average, at a disadvantage compared to those born male when it came to physical strength, stamina or physique. She said: 'Therefore, it is commonplace for competitors to be categorised. All categories are trying to do the same thing – to group competitors by their bodily characteristics. 'The reality is that all sports are predominately male sports and there are very few where it can be said there is no sex-based advantage. Women have to fight to seek inclusion. 'If girls and women do not have their own teams, they will lack the development pathway into sports and will give up. 'All cue sports have protected women's categories because the physique of male players means that male players have an advantage over female players.' Haynes told the court that 'my success in pool in general is down to my efforts, whether in the women's section or open section' and that 'coaching helped me progress'. She also said that 'a big part of my life was playing county ladies' blackball pool'. Cross-examining Haynes, Crowther asked if she would accept the proposition that, on average, males had an advantage over females. Haynes responded that she 'wouldn't know enough about the subject', adding: 'I'm not an expert on it.' Crowther also cited the fact that Haynes was able to play on the EBPF's Open Tour, which was previously known as its men's tour but was rebranded in light of trans women being banned from female-only events. Haynes's barrister, Robin White, told the court the extent to which sports were gender-affected was on a sliding scale, saying: 'It would be easy to make the case that tennis is gender-affected, given that men are able to serve so much faster than women. 'On the other end of the spectrum is chess. I'm prepared to accept that pool is close to the boundary.' Citing the Equality Act 2010, White said: 'A 'gender-affected activity' is a sport, game or other competitive activity where the physical strength, stamina or physique of average persons of one sex would put them at a disadvantage compared to average persons of the other sex.' Haynes submitted expert evidence to support her case, including from an American professor who argues that as long as a player could break above a certain speed – something achievable by both sexes – there was no inherent advantage gained by a higher cue velocity. The case continues. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Transgender pool player suing governing body in bid to overturn ban
The transgender pool champion at the centre of angry protests over her playing in women's events is suing one of her sport's governing bodies for banning her from female-only competitions. Harriet Haynes, who on Sunday won a professional women's tournament after beating another trans player in the final, is in court this week after taking legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF). It follows an August 2023 change to the EBBF's eligibility criteria to allow only those born female to play on its ladies' tour and county tournaments, a move Haynes says amounted to discrimination that had caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and 'injured feelings'. The rule change left Haynes, who first competed in an EBPF event as a woman in 2015, unable to play for the Kent's ladies' team and she is seeking damages at Canterbury County Court. What is thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind brought by a trans athlete in the UK could prove a landmark case in pool and beyond, over rules designed to stop those born male taking part in female-only competitions. A hearing began on Monday, the day after Haynes and Lucy Smith faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Sunday. Their match witnessed protests from demonstrators who shouted, 'He's a man and we stand with Lynne Pinches', and held up banners saying, 'Save women's sport', and, 'He's a man', as Haynes walked past. Pinches is the player who forfeited a 2023 final in protest at the participation of Haynes and is part of a separate legal action against the Ultimate Pool Group and World Eightball Pool Federation over their refusal to ban trans women from their own events. The EBPF, meanwhile, argues those born male have, on average, a higher break speed than female-born players. It also claims that male-born players benefit from greater hand span, stronger fingers, and longer limbs, making it easier for them to play particular shots. Governing body argue male have advantage in cue sports The governing body is represented at this week's court hearing by Sarah Crowther KC, who told the proceedings on Monday that female-born players were, on average, at a disadvantage compared to those born male when it came to physical strength, stamina or physique. She said: 'Therefore, it is commonplace for competitors to be categorised. All categories are trying to do the same thing – to group competitors by their bodily characteristics. 'The reality is that all sports are predominately male sports and there are very few where it can be said there is no sex-based advantage. Women have to fight to seek inclusion. 'If girls and women do not have their own teams, they will lack the development pathway into sports and will give up. 'All cue sports have protected women's categories because the physique of male players means that male players have an advantage over female players.' 'My success is down to my efforts' Haynes told the court that 'my success in pool in general is down to my efforts, whether in the women's section or open section' and that 'coaching helped me progress'. She also said that 'a big part of my life was playing county ladies' blackball pool'. Cross-examining Haynes, Crowther asked if she would accept the proposition that, on average, males had an advantage over females. Haynes responded that she 'wouldn't know enough about the subject', adding: 'I'm not an expert on it.' Crowther also cited the fact that Haynes was able to play on the EBPF's Open Tour, which was previously known as its men's tour but was rebranded in light of trans women being banned from female-only events. Haynes' barrister, Robin White, told the court the extent to which sports were gender-affected was on a sliding scale, saying: 'It would be easy to make the case that tennis is gender-affected, given that men are able to serve so much faster than women. 'On the other end of the spectrum is chess. I'm prepared to accept that pool is close to the boundary.' Citing the Equality Act 2010, White said: 'A 'gender-affected activity,' is a sport, game, or other competitive activity where the physical strength, stamina, or physique of average persons of one sex would put them at a disadvantage compared to average persons of the other sex.' Haynes submitted expert evidence to support her case, including from an American professor who argues that as long as a player could break above a certain speed – something achievable by both sexes – there was no inherent advantage gained by a higher cue velocity.
