Anti-trans billboard featuring Aussie swimmers comes under fire
<p dir="ltr">Swimming Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) have threatened a conservative lobby group with legal action over billboards featuring images of elite female swimmers used in a campaign against trans women competing in sport, per <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/25/swimming-australia-threatens-legal-action-over-billboards-claiming-womens-sport-is-not-for-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Conservative group Advance, formerly the Advance Australia Party, has produced billboards and social media graphics featuring the phrase “Women’s sport is not for men” alongside images of Dawn Fraser, Emma McKeon and Emily Seebohm, after all three commented on the issue recently.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The group recently launched the billboards as criticism of Warringah MP Zali Steggall’s support for including trans women in female sports, all while supporting Liberal Warringah candidate Katherine Deves following her controversial comments about trans people.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for the AOC said the organisation will send a legal letter to Advance, alleging the billboards use its intellectual property without permission.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The billboards use images of Seebohm and McKeon in their uniforms that feature the Olympic rings, the intellectual property the AOC claims is being used without permission.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Swimming Australia has also sent a legal threat to Advance to “immediately” remove the ads, and “strongly condemns” the use of the athletes’ imagery. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The organisation has claimed Advance didn’t seek or receive permission to use the imagery.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“For clarity - if it was sought it would have been categorically denied. Swimming Australia does not endorse this, or any message, from the Advance Australia party,” Eugénie Buckley, the chief executive of Swimming Australia, said in a statement.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Swimming Australia believes in a competitive environment that is inclusive, fair and equitable for all athletes at the same time. Ultimately, all Australians deserve to feel welcome, safe, valued and celebrated in swimming.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Advance has indicated it will not remove the billboards following Swimming Australia’s legal threat.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Seebohm has criticised Advance for using her comments and image “as part of a political agenda without my consent”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Olympic swimmer previously told Sky News that “biological males are always going to be stronger, fitter, faster than biological females” and that swimming authorities “need to work out how we can all come together in this sport”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Fraser told the Daily Telegraph, “I don’t think it’s fair to have transgender men competing against women”, and McKeon said she “personally would not want to be racing against someone who is biologically male” at a Griffith University event.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Seebohm has stood by her comments, telling <em>Guardian Australia</em> she didn’t consent to their use by Advance.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“As I have stated in the media this week, there needs to be a conversation started about how to be inclusive while still maintaining fairness for all athletes,” she told the publication.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I did not, and would never, give my permission for my image or brand to be used by Advance Australia on the mobile billboards, or advertising that is currently circulating, as part of a political campaign.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I remain committed to finding a fair solution for all athletes to be able to compete on a level playing field, while encouraging inclusiveness and supporting more young people to become involved in the sport.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to reports from Nine News, Fraser has engaged her own solicitor to address the use of her image in the campaign.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-709b0e7d-7fff-9b24-a794-93324529819c"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Advance Australia (Facebook)</em></p>
