NCAA rules prohibit Yale swimmer Iszac Henig from wearing political clothing. But he found a workaround to speak out against antitrans bills: writing directly on his body. Read Iszac's story here.
about coming out during the pandemic. "At least, that's what I’ll try to remember when I put on the women's swimsuit for competition and am reminded of a self I no longer feel attached to.", NCAA rules prohibit players from wearing t-shirts blazed with political statements or endorsements during competition. So when he decided to bring a message onto the pool deck, he had to get a little creative. "I thought, 'OK, I can’t put this on a shirt.
After a friend with contacts at the NCAA confirmed there are no rules about writing on skin, Henig decided to bust out the Sharpie. No one knew about the plan ahead of time, except for his roommate and the friend who wrote it on his arm. But the response was instant: Henig says that a group of Georgia Tech students who worked at the aquatic center came up to ask for a photo with him featuring the words. Thomas eventually asked Henig to write it on her arm, too."There's a lot of emotion behind it," Henig says. "There's a lot of power, but there’s also a lot of heartache.
Henig says he "understands" the "gut reaction" of those who are uncomfortable with trans girls competing in high school sports. "There’s that base of it of like, ‘Oh my god, how could we let a man play women’s sports?’ But you have to take a step back," Henig says. "That's not a man, that’s a woman. I think there should be a little more compassion and patience and people taking the time to say, 'Oh what am I feeling versus what’s actually true.
And though the season may be over, Henig will be back next year to speak out against transphobic laws and policies. As he puts it, "If states continue to pass legislation that excludes groups of people, then I don’t see why I wouldn’t continue to stand up for what I believe in."
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