T&T's Wallace-Joseph faces backlash for social media post about International Transgender Day on Easter Sunday

Written by Sherdon Cowan. Posted in Netball. | 02 April 2024 | 1168 Views
Tags: Netball, Australia, Nsw Swifts, Sam Wallacejoseph, Suncorp Super Netball, Trinidad And Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago’s Suncorp Super Netball star Sam Wallace-Joseph has come under fire for her stance on the International Transgender Day of Visibility falling on the same day as Easter Sunday.

Held every March 31 since 2009, the day has been set up as a celebration of pride and awareness, while aiming to recognise trans and gender-diverse achievements. Wallace-Joseph, a two-time NSW Swifts champion, shared a clickbait headline from a Canadian outlet that insinuated United States President Joe Biden had "declared" Easter Sunday would be the recurring day for International Transgender Day of Visibility moving forward.

"The disrespect is crazy. Don't play with God," Wallace captioned an Instagram story.

The day's crossover with Easter this year was used by some to criticise the United States president and suggest he was co-opting a religious holiday to promote trans rights. Fans criticised Wallace-Joseph's post and pointed out the misleading nature of the headline, but the Trinidad and Tobago shooter doubled down.

"I'm not hating on people, if you know me you will understand … I have heaps of gay friends and am not judging anyone on their gender," she wrote in a X, formerly Twitter, post.

Wallace-Joseph also confirmed she still planned to play in the NSW Swifts Pride Match in May. The Instagram story and relevant tweets have since been deleted after intervention from the Super Netball club, which distanced itself from her comments.

"The NSW Swifts are aware of a social media post that has caused understandable hurt to members of the transgender community," a statement read.

"The views expressed in the post are not shared by the club. The club spoke with Samantha raising its concerns. It is important to note that Samantha listened and will meet us tomorrow," it added.

The Super Netball league also issued a similar release, reinstating its commitment to "embrace diversity and ensure the sport is welcoming and safe for everyone who wants to participate", while it works closely with the Swifts regarding the sport's code of conduct.