Sports
Yohance Simonette
Trinidad and Tobago star netballer and goal shoot for Australian club New South Wales Swifts Samantha Wallace apologised on April 2 for comments she made via Instagram on the transgender community.
Wallace’s comments were in response to US president Joe Biden’s declaration of Transgender Day of Visibility, which coincidentally fell on Easter Sunday.
The TT goal-shoot shared a post about Biden’s announcement and added, “The disrespect is crazy. Don’t play with God.”
Following heavy backlash, Swifts’ officials called Wallace into a meeting on April 2, after which the player and club issued an apology.
Wallace said, “It was not my intention to upset and disrespect anybody and whilst I feel my post was taken out of context, I didn’t say what I meant clearly.
“I did not wish cause any offence to members of the transgender community, and it is clear that I have and for that, I am sorry.”
Swifts executive general manager Kath Tetley said the club tried to be “a safe and inclusive space for all.”
“We are also committed to the ongoing education required to ensure there is a common understanding among all of the cultures and communities that make up the Swifts.”
Netball Australia said it will be reviewing Wallace’s comments.
The shooter was the Swifts’ leading goalscorer in 2021 but injured her knee the following season, and spent more than a year on the sidelines.
