
New York, New York: Last year, at The Boardr Open at New York City Presented by DC then 12-year-old Shiloh Catori came in first place in the women's division. That year her fellow finalists ranged in age from 10-years-old to 27-years-old.
This year however, things were different.
On Saturday, June 25, Shiloh, who holds the rank of #133 globally, was awarded second place behind 29-year-old Ricci Tres, from Los Angeles.
Tres was born a man, but now identifies as a woman.
In light of this recent competition another skateboarder, Taylor Silverman is speaking up about her own experiences in other competitions where transgenders have been awarded the win.
In an Instagram post Silverman said, "My name is Taylor Silverman. I am a female athlete. I have been skateboarding for eleven years and competing for several years, I have been in three different contests with trans women, two of which I places second. At the last contest series I did for Redbull, I placed second. The trans competitor who won took $1,000 dollars in qualifiers, $3,000 in finals and $1,000 in best trick. This totaled to $5,000 of the prize money meant for the female athletes. I took $1,000 in qualifiers and $1,750 for second place, so $2,750 in total. The girl who took third received $750. The girl who deserved $1,000 for best trick took nothing along with whoever would have placed third. I deserve to place first, be acknowledged for my in, and get paid. I reached out to Redbull and was ignored. I am sick of being bullied into silence."
This comes in the wake of FINA, the world's swimming governing body banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports that choose to transition beyond the age of 12-years-old.
"This is not saying that people are encouraged to transition by the age of 12," James Pearce, spokesman for FINA president Husain Al-Musallam was quoted as telling the Associated Press. "It's what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair."
The decision came in the wake of 22-year-old trans athlete Lia Thomas being awarded the win in the NCAA 500-yard freestyle competition.
This conversation will not be going away any time soon. Are you prepared to weigh in?