The ESL has started its own women’s league with the Impact Project. The competition is also open to transwomen. A CS:GO caster has his problems with the rulebook.
Should transwomen compete in a women-only league? CS:GO caster Auguste «Semmler» Massonnat recently posted his opinion on the net.
The biggest league organiser ESL has launched its own project, the Impact League, which ended its second season with the finals at the weekend. Team Nigma Galaxy also won the second edition of the women’s league.
In the statutes of the league it is also enshrined that besidescis-womenonlytrans-womenmay be part of the participating quintets. For this, the ESL reserves the right to decide this based on medical or (authority documents).
CS:GO caster criticises
Semmler first wrote a YouTube comment, «I’m afraid I’m under the misconception that men can become women and vice versa. Men shouldn’t be competing in a women’s league.» On Twitter, he was rebuked for this statement as transphobic.
In response, he justified himself and took a dig at the integrity of the league: «Yes, I care about the integrity of the women’s league. If women want to compete among themselves in a league, they should be able to. Allowing men to compete there as well goes against the purpose of the league.»
This was met with headwind from Esports journalist Jacob Wolf, among others, who highlighted Semmler’s change of heart on interest in women’s leagues.
Yes, I care about the integrity of the league for the female players. If the female players want to have a league to compete amongst themselves, they should get it. Allowing men to compete in that league defeats the purpose of the league. https://t.co/RjXD1KVUOW
— Semmler (@OnFireSemmler) November 27, 2022
With this, Semmler brings a major point of discussion in the sports and esports world into focus.
While in classic sport physical conditions and differences between men and women are elementary for competition, physical conditions play a very much subordinate role in esports. A perfect solution in the interest of all still seems difficult in classic sport.
ESL Impact League as a springboard
With Olga Rodrigues (FURIA) and Anna «garden» Gutierrez (EG Gold), two transwomen are currently competing in the Impact League. So far there has not been much controversy about the participation of transwomen in other leagues. Erika «KP» Lytle is one of the top female athletes in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2022: Game Changers Championship.
ESL’s Impact League was founded, among other things, to give women a stronger stage in the counter world. Since summer 2022, women’s teams have been competing there. There is always criticism of women-only competitions — our editor Ann-Marie Hermann-Hügel has also dealt with it.
