Tarheel Swimming Association adopts policy impacting transgender swimmers

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- As we head into summer swim season, one of the largest recreational swim leagues in North Carolina and the country is making some major changes when it comes to transgender athletes being able to swim and compete in the gender they identify with.

The head of the Tarheel Swimming Association (TSA) said they estimate there are only 5 to 10 transgender swimmers out of 13,000 on their almost 90 teams around the Triangle. However, despite it being such a small number, it became a major topic they felt had to be addressed.

"It started with one team in particular that started to have some concerns about swimming with transgender children, potentially that may be swimming or may have swam," said TSA President Shawn Gage.

Shawn Gage, who is the president of the Tarheel Swimming Association, said ultimately they formed a task force and decided to allow teams to vote on a new policy, deciding whether swimmers should compete in their gender assigned at birth or the one they identify with.

The new policy, defining boys and girls categories as their biological sex, passed by a two-thirds margin.

"I think when people voted, it was just about we want clarity here, we don't want conflicts on the pool deck given where this issue or where this topic has gone over the years," Gage said.

It's something that's become an even larger topic as athletes progress to college or even Olympic or professional level, as the issue of competitive advantage becomes more of a concern.

"Definitely, there can be some rules about whether or not somebody has been on hormones for a period of time for various things like that, but make sense to pay attention to, but ultimately in the end, especially with kids sports, just let kids play," said local LGBT consultant Jack Turnwald.

Turnwald says TSA's new protocols will leave local families deciding if they can ever truly feel included.

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"Is there another space where your kid can feel community and be affirmed and not have to worry about that? Maybe that's the route to go, is it something that your kid is really invested in and loves doing? Maybe you want to try and stay in it," Turnwald said.

Gage says he understands those concerns, but wants to reiterate that the new rules are on the honor system and it's up to families to figure out what's best for them.

"Those might bring up some awkward issues for those families and those children we definitely understand that but again we also don't have a gender police and we don't check birth certificates and so in the end in the real world I wouldn't expect thing to change much from last year," he said.

In response to the new policy, one team decided to leave the league, calling the move a disgrace.

But the president said a few other new teams have joined. The new rules will be in place for the new season that begins this summer.