A 50-year-old transgender swimmer who shared a locker room with teenage girls has faced criticism from concerned parents.
In an interview with the Toronto Sun, several parents expressed concerns that Melody Wiseheart, had been allowed to compete against and share a locker room with teenage girls during the 2023 Trojan Cup in Ontario held between Dec. 1 and 3.
“The girls were terrified,” one parent told the outlet.
the @TheTorontoSun covers the Melody Wiseheart drama:
— Shannon B – Veracious Vader (@ShannonBDouglas) December 12, 2023
“It’s all so confusing for the kids,” said one parent. “No one is comfortable. Everybody is accepting of all people but them swimming against our kids and being in the locker room with them is not appropriate.”…
Parents reportedly constructed makeshift changing rooms out of towels so that their daughters could not be seen changing and, likewise, so their daughters would not see any male parts.
“It’s all so confusing for the kids,” another parent said. “No one is comfortable. Everybody is accepting of all people but them swimming against our kids and being in the locker room with them is not appropriate.”
Wiseheart, who was formerly known as Nicholas Cepeda, is currently a professor at York University and has reportedly been competing against girls since 2019, according to the outlet.
“We have no idea why it is allowed,” another parent told the outlet. “We know it’s not fair to the girls who are training at their sport and some of whom are hoping for scholarships.”
Swimming Canada and Swim Ontario issued a statement to the outlet noting that its “policies, procedures and rules” in place helped to provide a “safe, welcoming and inclusive” environment for participants.
This comes after it was revealed organizers of a regional swimming competition in October had allowed Wiseheart to compete against girls between the ages of 13 and 14 years old. At first, organizers attempted to deny Wiseheart had competed and later backtracked their denial after being shown a copy of the roster.
