A transgender pool player has lost her discrimination case against one of England’s major pool organisations, which previously implemented a policy barring individuals not assigned female at birth from competing in women’s events.
Harriet Haynes, a professional blackball pool player, brought legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) over rules introduced in August 2023.
These regulations state that participation in women’s competitions is limited to those born female, a move the EBPF said was necessary to ensure “equality and fairness for all”.
Haynes argued that the exclusion amounted to “direct discrimination” based on the pool player’s gender reassignment and said it had caused significant emotional distress.
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A transgender pool player has lost her discrimination case against one of England’s major pool organisations, which previously implemented a policy barring individuals not assigned female at birth from competing in women’s events
Despite Haynes’ arguments, a court ruling released on Friday dismissed the claim.
The court concluded that the policy was a “reasonable” approach to securing “fair competition” and that no alternative solution would be adequate.
“There is no reasonable alternative way of achieving fair competition short of exclusion,” wrote His Honour Judge Parker in his ruling.
The case marks the first legal test of a newly clarified legal definition of “woman” — restricted to those who are biologically female — following an April decision by the UK Supreme Court.
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Haynes, who holds a gender recognition certificate and had played on the Kent Women’s A team, admitted to being shocked by the federation’s original decision to implement a ban on playing in women’s eight-ball pool.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to be able to play like any other woman,” the Briton said, while downplaying suggestions of having a physical advantage.
Haynes’ legal challenge also cited breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), particularly Article 8, which protects private and family life.
The claim stated that the new rules stripped the player of their “identity of playing pool in the female category.”
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Harriet Haynes has been left disappointed by the court ruling
However, representatives for the EBPF defended the policy, arguing it was not discriminatory because Haynes was “born male”.
They added that a transgender woman who was born female would not have faced the same exclusion. Expert testimony during the proceedings persuaded the court to accept that pool is a “gender-affected activity”.
Judge Parker ruled that the claim “could not survive” the Supreme Court’s earlier interpretation, stating that it was “inconceivable” that such an interpretation would be seen as conflicting with trans protections under the Equality Act or the ECHR.
“The claim fails at the first hurdle because there has been no gender reassignment discrimination. The claim must therefore be dismissed,” he wrote.
Following the verdict, Ms Haynes’s legal team expressed their disappointment. Matt Champ, a senior associate at Colman Coyle who represented Haynes, said: “We and our client are naturally disappointed with the court’s decision that it was bound to follow the much-criticised Supreme Court case of For Women Scotland and dismiss our client’s case for gender reassignment discrimination.
“However, whilst the judge dismissed the case based upon For Women Scotland, we take some solace in the fact that he found that, if he was not bound by that decision, he would have agreed with our client and found that the need to show that exclusion was ‘necessary’ so as to comply with the Equality Act 2010 would have been on the defendants, that was a hotly contested issue at trial.”
“More importantly, the judge also found that if he were required to decide it, he would have found that the EBPF’s actions were not capable of being a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’ and so the defendants’ secondary case would have failed.
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Harriet Haynes wants to be allowed to be played against biological women
“But, obviously because of the judge’s reliance on For Women Scotland, the claim still had to be dismissed. We are reflecting on the judgment and our next steps which will include whether or not we appeal.”
The ruling comes shortly after the Football Association announced that transgender women will be prohibited from competing in the women’s game in England starting next season, citing the Supreme Court’s clarification on the legal meaning of “woman”.