Anti-trans activist Sharron Davies vows legal action against sporting bodies that allow trans women to compete in female categories
– 2 min read
Former Olympic swimmer and anti-trans activist Sharron Davies has reignited controversy this week by announcing plans to launch legal action against sporting bodies that allow trans women to compete in female categories. Her comments, made during a panel hosted by UnHerd and SEEN in Sport, have drawn sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ and trans rights advocates, who view her campaign as part of a broader pattern of anti-trans activism.
Davies, 62, revealed she will be launching a new women’s sports union next month, with the stated aim of challenging what she calls “direct sex discrimination” in sport. She claims that governing bodies are “throwing female recreational sport under the bus” by allowing trans inclusion at grassroots levels while restricting elite competition. She also stated her intention to lobby the government to withhold public funding from organisations that support trans athletes.
During the event, Davies shared a story about an 11-year-old girl who allegedly came home in tears after losing every race at her school’s sports day, which had been made co-ed to accommodate a trans-identifying student. “Her daughter said, ‘Why am I bothering, mummy?’” Davies recounted, using the anecdote to argue that girls are being discouraged from participating in sport.
This isn’t about fairness... It’s about exclusion, and it’s being dressed up as feminism.
However, LGBTQ+ groups have condemned Davies’ rhetoric as harmful and misleading. Critics argue that her framing of trans inclusion as a threat to women’s rights perpetuates stigma and ignores the lived realities of trans athletes, who already face significant barriers to participation. Many have pointed out that Davies’ campaign aligns with gender-critical movements that seek to roll back trans rights under the guise of protecting women.
Davies has a long history of opposing trans inclusion in sport. She has previously described trans rights protests as a “men’s rights movement” and accused organisations like Stonewall of “deliberately misinterpreting” equality legislation. She claims to have received abuse and threats for her views, but continues to advocate for policies that exclude trans women from female categories.
Her latest remarks come in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that redefined “sex” in the Equality Act as biological sex, a decision that has emboldened anti-trans campaigners. Davies has warned that sports like tennis and weightlifting could face litigation if they do not ban trans women from competing, stating that “sports are still choosing men’s feelings over women’s reality”.
Trans advocates argue that such legal threats are part of a broader strategy to erase trans people from public life, particularly in areas where visibility and inclusion are most needed. “This isn’t about fairness,” said one activist. “It’s about exclusion, and it’s being dressed up as feminism.”
