WSL's call to take surfing to UAE forces gay athletes like Tyler Wright to pay too high a price | Lucy Small

10/30/2024 09:54 PM

The person who has forged a path of inclusivity in professional surfing will have to hide who she is due to the league's latest addition to its calendar

Calls for the World Surf League to remove its latest addition to the 2025 Championship Tour calendar in Abu Dhabi are growing louder, as the decision to host an event at a new surf pool in the UAE – where homosexuality is illegal – is called into question.

"The WSL have chosen to support a government that criminalises LGBTQIA+ people and discriminates against women, and in doing so are choosing to place their athletes, support teams, and spectators at risk," reads the opening paragraph of a Change.org petition.