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The Women’s Fund has announced pro surfer Bethany Hamilton as the keynote speaker for its annual Power of the Perth event on May 9th.
OSHKOSH — Oshkosh area LGBTQ+ leaders are calling on the Oshkosh Women’s Foundation to reconsider its selection of a keynote speaker with a history of publicly speaking out against transgender athletes.
Earlier this month, the Women’s Fund announced professional surfer Bethany Hamilton as the keynote speaker for its annual Power of the Perth event on May 9th. The event aims to raise “awareness, advocacy and funds for underserved women and children” in the community.
Hamilton, whose story was also depicted in the 2011 film Soul Surfer, lost an arm in a shark attack while surfing, announced on his Instagram page in early 2023 that he will be competing in future World Surf League tournaments. He drew criticism for his announcement that he would be withdrawing from Japan. This is in response to the league’s latest policy to allow transgender athletes to compete.
Hamilton questioned the fairness and legality of allowing transgender athletes to compete against women on his Instagram Reel. Later in her reel, she said, “I personally will not be participating in or supporting the World Surf League if this rule remains in place.”
According to the International Surfing Association’s new transgender policy stance, first posted on February 3, 2023, athletes must provide a signed declaration proving they are female and remain focused. Transgender women can compete against cisgender women if they prove their identity to the ISA Medical Committee. The amount of testosterone in her body over the past 12 months.
Cisgender refers to people whose gender assigned at birth matches their gender identity and expression.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY NETWORK of Wisconsin, the Women’s Fund said Hamilton’s personal views on transgender athletes were “unknown” at the time it announced him as the keynote speaker.
Karlene Grabner, executive director of the Women’s Fund, declined multiple interview requests about the event.
A statement from the Women’s Fund stressed that Hamilton’s position on trans athletes was not the focus of the presentation.
“Her scheduled appearance came under some criticism due to reports of her personal views on transgender athletes, which stance was unknown to us at the time. , the focus of her appearance was also unclear, but we still strongly believe that her inspiring message of determination and resilience can transcend “Our Differences,” a statement from the Women’s Fund reads. ing.
The keynote speakers for the Power of the Purse event were “carefully selected,” according to the event page.
Hamilton’s claims come in the wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Many who argue that transgender women should be barred from competitive sports argue that transgender women have physiological advantages over cisgender women.
This attitude, LGBTQ+ advocates say, diminishes the reality that transgender women not only exist, but can even succeed in recreational sports that align with their gender.
Reiko Ramos, who directs the anti-violence program at Diverse & Resilient Appleton, a nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving health equity and improving the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ people in Wisconsin, calls for transgender athletes to participate in sports. denying them access is a direct affront to their souls. health and happiness.
“When you think about[LGBTQ+]mental health statistics, people talk about the disproportionate impact,” Ramos said. “I always like to pair it with a protective element. Belonging and inclusion are the antidote to that. When we’re talking about trans athletes, sports are a form of recreation, friendship, connection, and community building. .”
LGBTQ+ advocates argue that the selection of keynote speakers contradicts the Oshkosh Women’s Fund’s mission statement, which is to “improve the lives of women, girls, and all members of our community.”
Advocates TJ Hobbs and Misty Gedlinske wrote an open letter to the Women’s Fund and Discover Oshkosh on Jan. 15 asking them to rescind their invitation to Hamilton.
“The decision to endorse and promote someone who identifies as a trans-exclusivist is an unacceptable choice for any organization, especially one funded by a community that claims to support ‘all women and girls.’ “This is an unacceptable choice for nonprofit organizations,” the open letter states. That’s what the Women’s Fund read.
The letter includes Oshkosh Deputy Mayor Lindsey Erickson, City Council members Joe Stevenson, Carl Bulow and LaKeisha Haas, Winnebago County Commissioner Timothy Ernst, and Chief of Staff to Democratic Congresswoman Francesca Hon. It was signed by around 200 signatories, including government official Nada Elmikashfi.
The Women’s Fund Board is comprised of former and current board members, community members, and women’s advocates, including past president Barb Herzog, current president Vicki Krueger, and vice president Amy Albright, who also serves as executive director of Discover Oshkosh. It is made up of people.
A statement from the Women’s Fund said in light of calls for Hamilton’s ouster, the themes of resilience and survival are relevant to everyone attending the event.
Over the past few years, Power of the Perth has hosted a wide range of speakers from all backgrounds, and its messages have emphasized lessons of hope and perseverance, the foundation said in a statement.
“We would like to first emphasize that we have tremendous respect for the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, and the voices that have shared their views on the rights of transgender athletes,” the Women’s Fund said in a statement.
Despite calls to rescind Hamilton’s invitation, the Women’s Fund has not indicated any intention to do so.
“We look forward to continuing these important conversations, championing mutual understanding and empathy as keys to strengthening our local communities and beyond,” the Women’s Fund said in a statement. There is.
When USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reached out to Discover Oshkosh, which hosts the “Power of the Perth” event, for comment, Albright forwarded the Women’s Fund’s official statement.
LGBTQ+ advocates ask Women’s Fund to reconsider keynote speaker
Some people, organizations and businesses are calling on the Oshkosh Women’s Fund to reconsider its selection of Hamilton as its keynote speaker, calling the choice a “harmful mistake that requires immediate correction.” It has said.
Ramos, who is one of more than 200 signatories, said LGBTQ+ supporters are working to educate the Women’s Fund about the impact Hamilton’s election is having on their communities through private messages and signing an open letter. He said that They said there is an opportunity to listen to LGBTQ+ voices, learn and “do better.”
“When we realize we have caused harm, we have to have the humility to reverse course, apologize and do something different,” Ramos said. “But the other point is that[the Women’s Fund’s statement]’We didn’t know’ tells us that something was fundamentally missing in the planning process in the first place. ”
Oshkosh Deputy Mayor Lindsey Erickson also signed the letter and told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that she was concerned that Hamilton’s appearance would send a message that LGBTQ+ people are not welcome in Oshkosh.
“I believe people when they say they have been hurt, bullied, threatened and dehumanized by anti-trans rhetoric,” Erickson said. “We want to be a community where people feel welcome at events like this.”
Surf Equity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting fairness and inclusion in professional surfing, sent its own letter to the Women’s Fund condemning Hamilton’s selection.
“We urge you to reconsider Bethany Hamilton as the keynote speaker at your Women’s Fund event,” wrote Surf Equity Executive Director Sabrina Brennan. “We believe it is essential to uphold values that promote inclusivity, diversity and respect for all individuals.”
Gedlinske and Hobbs’ letter contends that allowing Hamilton to speak Oshkosh will promote anti-transgender rhetoric within the community.
Hamilton’s selection “creates and strengthens a direct platform to amplify anti-transgender bias in our own backyard,” the letter said.
Since the letter was published, some of the signatories have received hateful emails filled with anti-LGBTQ+ language. Additionally, anti-trans accounts on social media posted the personal contact information and workplaces of some of the signatories.
“The Women’s Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation has found that members and supporters of the community they claim to serve have been bullied, mocked, and threatened by supporters of the keynote speaker they chose. , it is unacceptable to sit silently while being dehumanized,” an additional official statement said. Hobbes and Gedlinske said:
Recent data from the Wisconsin Department of Children’s Mental Health’s 2023 Annual Report attributes some of the external issues affecting youth today to political conflicts, especially LGBTQ+ topics. . Almost 50% of LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered suicide, according to the report.
And, more locally, a 2023 report by NEW Mental Health Connection and the Medical College of Wisconsin focuses on the mental health and well-being of residents living in Calumet, Winnebago, and Outagamie counties. found that LGBTQ+ adults were three times more likely to self-harm. Compared to non-LGBTQ+ people, they are 11 times more likely to report at least one suicide attempt in a year.
Among the factors unique to the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people living in the Fox Valley, the report found that “acts of violence, verbal exclusion that denies their identities and experiences, and anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation” are dehumanizing factors. It was pointed out that this was the cause. Feeling.
Rising anti-trans sentiment continues to influence state legislatures
Transgender issues have been a political flashpoint across the United States for decades. And in recent years, nearly two dozen states have passed laws specifically prohibiting athletes from playing on teams that do not match their assigned gender at birth.
According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, the total number of anti-trans bills in 2023 more than tripled compared to the previous two years, with 503 bills introduced and 85 passed.
In the first month of 2024 alone, Wisconsin has already introduced 11 anti-trans bills.
Over the past year, state Republican lawmakers have introduced several bills related to transgender issues, including a recent bill that would ban doctors from providing gender reassignment treatment to young people.
And in October, the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature passed a bill restricting transgender youth and college students from participating in sports teams, but the bill failed to pass the Senate.
Such a bill is unlikely to pass in Wisconsin, as Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vowed to block any legislation that restricts LGBTQ+ rights.
Both the political element and the mental health crisis demonstrate why organizations’ decisions about who to include in the empowerment conversation matter, Ramos said.
“I really want people to zoom out and look at the bigger picture of what’s at stake for the LGBTQ community, especially transgender people and transgender youth. Because , because it’s too easy to look at this particular situation and ignore the LGBTQ community as inflating this,” Ramos said. “This is part of a larger struggle.”
Sophia Voigt covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley. For feedback or story tips, contact svoight@postcrescent.com. Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “Hopeline” to the National Crisis Textline at 741-741.
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