Texas Attorney General Investigates Competition Policy
Last month, a biological male athlete identifying as a woman, who dominated five events at the US Masters women’s swimming competition in San Antonio, has drawn scrutiny and prompted an investigation from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton has announced that his office will look into potential deceptive practices concerning female athletes, specifically how allowing biological men to compete in women’s events may violate Texas’s consumer protection laws.
“The US Masters swimming policy allowing men to compete in women’s events is alarming and could be in violation of Texas law,” Paxton stated.
“This policy has not only embarrassed female athletes but also undermines the integrity of women’s sports,” he emphasized. “I am committed to fighting against these unfair policies.”
Ana Kalda, a 47-year-old biological man identifying as a transgender woman, achieved gold medals in all five races, including the 50 and 100 yards freestyle, as well as the breaststroke and individual medleys.
In a recent tweet, it was noted that Kalda significantly outpaced the women’s competition—by as much as four seconds in some races.
Critics argue that Kalda’s participation contradicts the Texas law signed in June 2023, designed to ban transgender-identifying athletes from competing in women’s sports. This legislation, they say, should have prevented Kalda from competing.
“We’re encouraged by the Texas Attorney General’s decision to investigate US Masters Swimming,” said veteran swimmer Wendy Endere, who has expressed concern about fairness in competition for some time.
In response to the investigation, Enderle has submitted requests for eligibility reviews of transgender swimmers she has faced during her career.
“We hope US Masters adopts a fairer policy in line with global standards. We also hope that the justice department will examine whether this situation violates Executive Order No. 14201,” Enderle commented.
“While I’m not a legal expert, it seems to me that USMS might be breaching this order, particularly as it pertains to governing bodies in athletics,” she added.
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