A professional female skateboarder has called out organizers behind a top skateboarding competition after losing multiple events to transgender athletes.
Taylor May Silverman took to Instagram this week, saying she is “done being silent,” after a biological male scored first place and took home top prize money in the women’s Red Bull Cornerstone skate event.
According to Silverman, the trans competitor won qualifiers, finals, and best trick, taking a total of $5,000 in prize money.
Hitting out at event organizers, Silverman said in the post:
“My name is Taylor Silverman. I am a female athlete. I have been skateboarding for eleven years and competing for several years. I have been in three different contests with trans women, two of which I placed second. At the last contest series I did for Redbull, I placed second. The trans competitor who won took $1000 dollars in qualifiers, $3000 in finals, and $1000 in best trick. This totaled to $5000 of the prize money meant for the female athletes. I took $1000 in the qualifiers and $1750 for second place, so $2750 in total. The girl who took third received $750. The girl who deserved $1000 for best trick took nothing along with whoever would have placed third. I deserve to place first, be acknowledged for my win, and get paid.”
Silverman said she reached out to Red Bull but her email was “completely ignored” by the organization.
The email read:
“I am reaching out in hopes of being directed to the right person to express my concerns about what occurred at the Redbull Cornerstone contest with transgender competitor in the women’s division. Perhaps that is you. If not, hopefully you can put me in contact with the correct person. A biological man with a clear advantage won the women’s division, best trick, and also won multiple qualifiers. This took away the opportunity that was meant for women to place an earn money. What happened was unfair and at the time I was too uncomfortable to speak up. I understand that in todays society even some women think this is acceptable, but I believe in doing the right thing even if it’s not the popular thing. I now realize its really important for me to speak up and I’d like to schedule a time to talk.”
Silverman said she is “sick of being bullied into silence.”
