Ry Shissler, a 40 -year -old cartographer who had nothing back, planned to compete internationally for the first time during the Worldpride celebrations that begin this month in Washington.
But the trans athlete and his team, the Purple Fins of Toronto, made the difficult decision to completely skip the games and acts of pride in the United States, worried about the treatment they would receive on the border and after crossing it.
The Purple Fint Swimming Club, which calls itself “without gender”, is one of several aquatic teams with bi, non -binary or transgender athletes whose members have declared Reuters that they do not feel comfortable visiting the United States at the moment.
“Are my rights to respect themselves? Are the rights of my teams to be respected? Are we going to be attacked and the authorities will defend us or in their place to the aggressor? All those are questions to which we could not definitely say yes,” said Shissler, who identifies herself as “trans -gender person not specified.”
It was a difficult decision for the Canadian team, said Shissler, with dual American and Canadian nationality, which grew in Michigan.
“We want to be ourselves, go to swim and have fun, and maybe winning a medal (…) but say no, it is a difficult decision. But tell us no, that it is not certain that we have fun (…) is very hard” is very hard “
Washington is the headquarters of the celebrations of 2025 Worldpride, a biennial alluvion of cultural and sports events, which culminates in a parade and, this year, with a Shakira concert.
Chosen before the latest presidential elections, the organizers expected Washington to match the New York celebrations of 2019, which attracted about four million visitors, but a series of political changes promoted by President Donald Trump and new laws in some United States states have cooled interest in events, some say.
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Athletes skip pride acts in Washington for fear of receiving in the US of Trump
The Trump administration says that it only recognizes two immutable, male and female sexes, has revoked orders that fought discrimination against homosexuals and transsexuals, and is working to unsubscribe thousands of transsexual soldiers of the US army.
The White House sent the questions about fears around security and entry into the border to the US and borders patrol of the United States. The agency refused to facilitate an official response, but stated in a statement that beliefs about sexuality do not make a foreign person inadmissible.
The “LGBTQIA+” worldwide championships that Shissler hoped to join have attracted in the past between 800 and 1,000 swimmers and water polo players, as the current and previous organizers remember. This year no.
“We are definitely not seeing the figures we used to see, and that is unfortunate,” said Rozalynd McCree, co -president of the Igla+Board, which supervises the games. McCree states that, although IGLA+ is doing everything possible to guarantee the safety of the participants, it cannot offer guarantees.
“Athletes who come and those in the United States will demonstrate and talk, and we will fight for our community because it is important for us,” he said. “We are not going to sit and remain silent.”
But the current political climate, especially in the capital of the country, has undermined the expected joy of possible participants.
Stefania Bereznai, 51, who has been playing in the Triggerfish Waterpolo de Toronto, initially wanted to attend the IGLA+tournament, but the United States has lost its attraction, Bereznai said, which is identified as non -binary.
“I don’t feel that I stand out for being non -binary. So I am not so worried about my physical security,” Bereznai said.
“But I don’t want to go to a place where other people do not feel comfortable and where, in a way, I am also assimilating the fact that I am not welcome like what I am.”
With Reuters information.
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