The “serious consequences” that the participation of trans athletes has for women’s sports has become one of the great battles of feminism. Since the participation of self-identified female athletes began to compete in the women’s categories, complaints have been constant. Now women’s sport is once again at the center of controversy after the victory of a team with “two players with beards.”
This time, The debate has come after Terrassa lost against Europa B by 1-3. The presence of two transsexual players in the subsidiary of the team from the Barcelona neighborhood of Gracia has caused a monumental mess. These are Álex and Nil, who compete with women despite having masculine attributes in their physique. The most striking, the beard. They were born as women but are in the process of transitioning to change sex. Their appearance is already masculine, but since they appear as women on their ID, they continue to play as such.
However, after the defeat, the supposed physical superiority of these two players has angered users and fans. As explained by a user on social networks, the Europa Femenino B team, which faced Terrassa FC last Saturday, has two “unstoppable” players. “It will be difficult to find players with more power and speed in the entire women’s preferred category,” he says ironically..
Unfair physical advantage
Several fans have expressed their discontent at what they consider an “unfair physical advantage” in favor of Europa B. According to some Terrassa followers, both Álex and Nil stand out for their speed and physical power. Attributes that, they argue, are not comparable to those of their opponents.
Alicia Tomás, spokesperson for the VOX municipal group in Terrassa, has denounced the situation that the Terrassa FC women’s team had to experience. Tomás harshly criticized the participation of “two guys with beards” in women’s competitions, calling the situation unfair and harmful to female athletes.
In his tweet, Tomás expressed that after decades of fighting to achieve equality and visibility in women’s sports, these achievements are now at risk due to the “perverse gender ideology”, which allows trans men to compete in sports intended for women. , which she considers a threat to the fairness and integrity of competitions. Well, in the words of Tomás and any person with common sense, since the inclusion of people with an obvious physical advantage over women is crazy that erases the achievements of women’s sports and violates their rights.
The VOX spokesperson also pointed out that this situation is the result of decisions made by those who, in her opinion, have allowed the distortion of biological reality in favor of ideologies that put women’s rights at risk. Tomás concluded his message with a harsh criticism of the authorities responsible for allowing this situation, stating that “we are governed by sick people.”
Álex, one of the forwards of Europa B, has been fundamental for the team, standing out as one of its scorers. The player has previously commented that, as long as her identity document indicates that she is female. You can continue competing in the women’s category, regardless of your physical appearance or the transition process you are carrying out.
A controversy that comes from afar
It is not the first time that the Barcelona Club Esportiu Europa has been involved in a controversy of this type. Something similar already happened when they achieved a striking 23-0 win in their match against Pujadas at the Nou Sardenya stadium in 2022.
The matter went viral after a message from Europa on social networks at half-time of the match. At that moment, the team was already winning 10-0 and this text was accompanied by a photo of Álex Alcalde shooting on goal. The publication did not go unnoticed and the club had to come forward to defend its “player” from transphobic attacks.
Álex appears in the photo of that tweet. Three years ago, the Europa forward began his gender change process but, today, on his DNI he is still a woman and therefore competes on the women’s team.
“Today, as long as my ID says ‘F’ for female, I can decide to play on a female team. So until that is changed, it will remain that way. I will not be the first nor the last and there will be many people like that,” Álex confesses in an interview with El Español, adding that “I would like to play with men, but if I want to compete I can’t do it. “I would play in a league in the schoolyard and that’s what I don’t want.”