Controversy erupted after the Spanish women's soccer team featured two bearded female-turned-male players in their final match.
One of those bearded players scored the game-clinching goal.
Club Esportiu Europa allowed Alex Alcaide Llanos and Nil Alcon Lavera to play in Marca's Catalunya Women's League game against Terrassa last weekend. reported.
Both players have not yet completed the medical transition process and are prohibited from playing in the men's league.
The participation of the transferred players, and the fact that one of them, Llanos, scored the winning goal in Club Esportiu Europa's 3-1 victory over Terrassa FC, prompted a local politician to He voiced his opposition to the players' play. Two athletes who were receiving significant amounts of hormone therapy were unfairly included.
“Our @TerrassaFC girls lost to Europe because among our rivals were two bearded men who thought they were women,” said one of the region's leading conservatives. said Alicia Thomas, a local councilor. I wrote With X.
“Decades of struggle to establish our place in the world of sport only for perverted gender ideologies to erase our existence. We are ruled by sick people. There is.”
In a shocking turn of events, Europe defended its decision to include transitional athletes and blamed the outrage on trans-hatred.
“In light of the violence committed against two players of our women's reserve team, we at Club Esportiu Europe say no to transphobic and LGBTIphobic violence and to violence of all kinds,” the club said in a statement. did. said In a statement posted to X.
“Throughout our century-long history, our club has been distinguished by our values of sportsmanship, fair play and compliance with current sporting regulations. We also recognize the right of all people to live free from all forms of violence. I am working and fighting for a life worth living.”
The club added: “Combatting hate crimes and transphobic violence is a collective duty for all of society. We therefore reiterate that we remain resolute and we speak out loud. In the face of aggression and fascism, we say, “We will not take a step back.''
Llanos maintains that it is still appropriate for players to play in the women's league because their driver's licenses still say “female.”
“As long as I have an F for woman on my ID card, I'm playing in the category that belongs to me,” Llanos said. said Betebe in 2022.
“I started changing my body early, and it hasn't changed all that much. I've always had a more masculine build, and I'm gaining muscle faster, not more, because of hormones. The moment I feel superior, I quit and step aside.”
Betebe said Llanos has been undergoing hormone treatment for at least five years. It is unclear when Labella began treatment.
