Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

Allen Stark — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:38:15 GMT

I would like to know the truth also, but I see no reason at this time to believe the expose' over USMS. If USMS says they got the documents I tend to believe them.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

60645 — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 04:19:26 GMT

The US Masters Swimming Eligibility Review Committee wrote: " The documents the swimmer submitted all demonstrate that she was assigned the female sex at birth and that she identifies as female, although she swam in the male category at USMS events 2002-2004. Even though it was not required, the swimmer voluntarily provided past and current medical documentation corroborating the information contained in the documents she submitted and corroborating her eligibility in the female category."

That now appears to be a lie. The problem is that you said that we should trust you while you were lying.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

0ARU3 — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 22:53:17 GMT

I stand with you, Angie, and see through the deception accepted by the media and more.

Caldas claimed the cheek swab is invasive and expensive, stating his insurance refuses to cover the test.
From the World Aquatics Policy on Eligibility for Men's and Women's Competition Categories F1b:

"...World Aquatics may ask the athlete to provide further information and documents and/or submit to one or more medical examinations. All costs associated will be borne by World Aquatics."

Numerous sites reported Caldas' claims without bothering to verify. Sadly, some sites (Swimming World) disabled comments on social media, allowing the continued lies to go unchallenged.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

swimfastatlanta — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:44:03 GMT

[deleted]

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

Angie Griffin — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:56:24 GMT

A real woman would have taken the cheek swab to put an end to the whole charade. Real women stick up for real women

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

swimfastatlanta — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:04:46 GMT

[deleted]

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

sarah tyler — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:53:42 GMT

I agree with your latest post. That is an important but separate issue at this point.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

Allen Stark — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 03:05:00 GMT

Here is another and I think important POV: https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/commentary-masters-swimming-needs-to-add-transgender-classification/.

There needs to be recognition that transwomen exist and that they are not :"mentally ill men" as one poster referred to them. They may have an unfair advantage over cis women and that needs to be accounted for, but they ought to be able to win medals and not just swim exhibitions. I have made a proposal elsewhere on the forum and I am sure there are other good ideas, but the old rules were unfair to cis women and the current rules are unfair to trans women. We can do better.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

sarah tyler — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 01:08:25 GMT

Wow Angie..

I am pleased that someone put 1+1+1 together and came up with 1. USMS could have done things so differently. The information is there in the swimming statistics. I knew and swam with the folks who came up with this idea of Masters Swimming so many years ago. I am pretty sure things would have been handled differently. I agree with you as to how this played out. It could have been less drama, more respect.

Thanks for your perseverance

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

Angie Griffin — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 21:05:43 GMT

[deleted]

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

U2842 — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 20:59:26 GMT

It has nothing to do with swimming nor should it as in all of the social justice stuff. I wasn't happy to see OW Nationals set for Rosh Hashanah, I think that was a poor choice. What got me upset was ignoring me when I reached out to USMS and the CEO about it. What set me off was the gaslighting and the lies after that.

Diversity is the opportunity to grow your club period. It's good business for your club and good business for our sport.

Yes, so we can stick to swimming.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

Annkmarshfield — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 14:37:29 GMT

Go here for complete report

swimswam.com/.../

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

60645 — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:23:21 GMT

I'd be okay with somewhat revising the DEI statement, which wasn't that bad to begin with. In general, I'm in favor of a reasonable degree of sensitivity to everyone.

However, the policy regarding transgender people seems reasonable. As to self-certification, do you want to pay extra dues so that people will be tested to ensure they are what they say? I don't.

I too am a Jew. For every two Jews, you'll have three opinions. It's a good things to avoid setting swimming events on Jewish holidays. However, I question what that has to do with this issue.

We each have our social and political beliefs. Exercise them. Masters swimming should try to stick to swimming as much as possible.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

60645 — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:15:58 GMT

In some states, you would be committing a crime. It seems the most sensible thing for the organization is to admit that it doesn't control locker rooms. Follow the law where you are.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

0ARU3 — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 16:59:50 GMT

What was the result of Rhines' eligibility review?

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

0AUS0 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:49:42 GMT

Dawson & Ed -

Will we ever get a response on athlete Ana Caldas from San Antonio? It has been 4 months. You have also completed the Federal Way meet so it’s high time for a response. We recieved a response on Jennifer Rhines immediately. Why so quiet on Ana Caldas?

The interim policy you have pushed out is not an answer to the eligibility question. You all respond to nothing on this? Why?

Cissy Cochran

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

U2842 — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 20:05:56 GMT

Leann,

Would love to know when the USMS "Diversity and Inclusion" committee will be truly inclusive and consider Jews as a minority, still trying to understand why your committee and USMS ignore our community. Y'all really had our backs when the '23 Open Water Nationals were scheduled on Rosh Hashanah. You guys knew and did it anyway.

If you want to call out others for not being open and inclusive might be a good idea to consider how you treat others first.

Seems like "inclusion" is quite selective.

Zaq Harrison

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

swimfastatlanta — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 17:20:40 GMT

Hey Angie- Hannah won faily, she is a women, born female, give it up and educate yourself about human biology before you open your mouth again. You and Wendy did this and the only people that should recieve an apology are the ones that you and Wendy slandered publicly. Grow up and leave USMS, we were doing just fine until your hate campaign went viral. Shame on you, take some responsibility for a change. This organization wouldn't be spinning their wheels if they didnt have to clean up the mess that you and Wendy created.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

09H8T — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 14:01:15 GMT

"Locker room access is not part of our policy". That's very sad; not sure how you were brought up. It's part of my policy, and I suspect it might be part of 99% of your membership's policy. If a real man sees a mentally-ill man entering into a women's locker room, he will defend the honor of those women with his life, and remove the mentally-ill man. Sincerely, Bill

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

Angie Griffin — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:02:10 GMT

Riddle me this, Dawson —

Why should USMS members lift a finger to support your #SwimsuitsNotLawsuits campaign when you haven’t even responded to the formal protest submitted after Spring Nationals nearly four months ago?

You say you "heard from members" and crafted this policy based on "values" and "feedback" — yet the only thing we received was an automated acknowledgment. No answers. No accountability. No explanation for how a man was allowed to compete in the women’s category in April.

Now you want us to be your PR team — correcting “misinformation,” sharing posts, defending a vague and inconsistent policy — while you’ve stayed silent on the one issue that actually mattered to women competitors?

Before you ask us to speak for you, maybe try speaking to us.

We’ve been waiting.

RE: Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: We're focused on our mission and members

U2842 — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 22:22:56 GMT

Dawson,

Credibility is the issue here. Before USMS asks us push a message of "why are you picking on us" I suggest our professional and lay leadership take a hard look in the mirror with our CEO setting the example.

Let's talk about my experience with USMS, you and inclusion.

These emails are actually divisive, A great first step should be the USMS dropping immediately our "Diversity and Inclusion" platform.

In 2023 USMS purposely scheduled the Open Water Championships on Rosh Hashanah then when I called you on it you blew me off. How could I forget when the USMS board President emailed me telling me he spoke to his Jewish neighbor who told him it was ok. Please don't do that again, it was embarrassing.

You pretended that "Oops we didn't know" except it ended I learned from people involved in USMS that you knew all along of the conflict but you had a sweet deal with Mission Viejo and it's Mayor for that weekend and you hoped nobody would notice. I wouldn't call that inclusion would you?

These Diversity platforms, including USMS, have a habit of excluding Jews, I took the time to speak with folks involved. It's bad, look no further than at USA Swimming, they have a DEI Director who has openly called for the genocide of Jews on his social media accounts. When it was brought to the attention of USA Swimming's CEO and Counsel, well now their DEI director just made his public accounts private.

USMS is in the Swim business not the social justice business. It is the responsibility of each club to attract membership and smart ones understand that appealing to a diverse cross section of their communities is good business. That should be it. I know of no benefit from being any one gender, race, belief, ethnicity or people that will help a swimmer complete a 200 fly Long Course, do you?

I can't wait til Seattle, I'm wondering if we will see tshirts being worn by folks competing, working and attending the meet calling for the eradication and genocide of Jews given the current climate in the US. Have you considered what you are going to do if this happens? Are Jews going to be "safe" at Summer Nationals? Will USMS inclusion include Jews? Your current D&I platform doesn't.

To be clear, calling for genocide is not freedom of speech, it is incitement.

I have worked for decades in the Jewish community fighting hatred. Full disclosure Texas wants my opinion on antisemitism in USMS, what am I going to tell them?

Btw I speak for myself and my nearly fifty years experience fighting antisemitism.

We have a beautiful thing here and I am tremendously grateful. Try not to screw it up. So far you have failed us.

Respectfully,

Zaq Harrison

USMS member