Irish pool champion Kim O’Brien has withdrawn from the European Pool Championships after authorities allowed men to compete in the women’s division.
The European Pocket Billiards Federation (EPBF) has opened its women’s category to men who claim to be transgender women, and this year the organization announced that Harriet, who “transitioned” to female at the age of eight in 2014, – Approved Haynes’ participation. According to the Irish Post, on the 23rd.
O’Brien has been playing in the professional pool for almost a quarter of a century and became a member of the England team in 1992. He then joined the Irish team in 1997 and currently holds the top ranking.
She also has a long championship record. She is multiple times Suffolk Champion, five times Irish Champion and won the title of European Champion in 2001 and 2010. She is the second woman to win that title twice.
But pro-women’s sports activist Riley Gaines turned the spotlight on Harriet Haynes last month, criticizing the EPBF for allowing Haynes to compete as a woman. Ms Gaines said she would pay Mr O’Brien not to compete against men in the women’s championship.
It’s truly incredible.
At the European Pool Championships, female athlete Kim O’Brien withdrew from the women’s final, where she was scheduled to face male athlete Harriet Haynes.
I would gladly pay her the winnings she lost. Stop playing their games. Continuation of this!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/MAKH5KUm15
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) February 29, 2024
Several other activists including Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillonalso promised to calculate Gaines’ contribution to O’Brien if the pool champion refused to compete with Haynes.
Now, when the championship started on February 29th, O’Brien suddenly announced that he would not face Haynes.
Mr. Gaines was elated with the decision.
“The important thing is that it’s a women’s category… It’s not a costume party,” she wrote in a Feb. 29 X post. “The key is transparency. It would be different if it was advertised as coeducational. But this was not the case.”
“Why is there a women’s category when anyone can compete? Women’s opportunities are only for women,” she persuasively argued.
Importantly, it’s a “women’s” category…not a costume party.
It’s about transparency. It would be a different story if it was advertised as co-educational. But this was not the case.
Why is there a women’s category when anyone can compete? Women’s opportunities are only for women. https://t.co/OuauCsOpzQ
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 1, 2024
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