Oshkosh Women's Fund doubles down on Bethany Hamilton as keynote speaker as LGBTQ+ outrage persists

OSHKOSH – Recent comments and public events have further roiled LGBTQ+ advocates over the Oshkosh Women's Fund’s decision to keep Bethany Hamilton as the keynote speaker for its Power of the Purse event, despite Hamilton’s stance on trans women in competitive sports.

Recently, the Women's Fund announced the Power of the Purse event, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 9 at the Oshkosh Convention Center, will be used as a “springboard” for a “collaborative mental health campaign.”

The campaign, according to the Women’s Fund website, will intersect mental health programming with parenting efforts established over the last few years. The Women’s Fund could not be reached for comments about what that entails.

Hamilton, who lost an arm in a shark attack while surfing and whose story was captured in the 2011 film "Soul Surfer," drew criticism in early 2023 when she made statements on her Instagram page indicating she would be withdrawing from future World Surf League competitions in response to the league's updated policy to allow transgender athletes to compete.

She has since used her social media platforms to protest International Surfing Association’s decision to allow transgender athletes to compete in the division that aligns with their gender. That decision was made in concert with the International Olympic Committee's position statement in 2021.

Since the Oshkosh Women’s Fund announced in early January that Hamilton would be the keynote speaker for its Power of the Purse event, the Oshkosh nonprofit has been met with opposition from LGBTQ+ activists and community members.

The nonprofit said it didn't know about Hamilton’s stance on trans athletes prior to booking her, but appears to be following through with her keynote role, according to its 2024 Q&A page.

The Oshkosh Women’s Fund has declined interview requests about Hamilton's selection beyond its official public statement.

LGBTQ+ activists argue the nonprofit’s move to fund mental health initiatives through Power of the Purse this spring would further sow distrust in a community that already feels excluded and ignored after Hamilton’s announcement as speaker.

It’s a point underscored by Hate Free Outagamie, a grassroots organization of local activists “who stand up against hate in all its forms.”

“Their commitment to bringing her in to speak and minimizing her stance of trans inclusion does not promote trust in the LGBTQ+ community that its mental health efforts and services will truly include all women and girls,” Hannah Villnave, a member of Hate Free Outagamie’s organizing committee, told the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin on Monday.

In a Jan. 26 letter to the Oshkosh Women’s Fund, the organization cited a 2022 survey from The Trevor Project that found 56% of Wisconsin trans youth said they considered suicide in the last 12 months and another 21% of Wisconsin trans youth attempted suicide.

That report also found that 74% of Wisconsin LGBTQ+ youths have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Another 90% say recent politics negatively impacts their well-being, either sometimes or all the time.

Additionally, a 2023 report from NEW Mental Health Connection and the Medical College of Wisconsin focused on the mental health and well-being of residents living in Calumet, Winnebago and Outagamie counties, found that LGBTQ+ adults are three times more likely to self-harm and 11 times more likely to report attempting suicide at least once over the course of a year than non-LGBTQ+ people.

Of the factors distinct to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people living in the Fox Valley, the report noted that “acts of violence, exclusion through language that negates identities and experiences, and anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislative action” contribute to a dehumanizing feeling.

Villnave told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin it’s disappointing to see how little the Women’s Fund “connects the dots” between its choice to give Hamilton airtime and the disproportionate rate of depression, suicide attempts and suicidality in Wisconsin's LGBTQ+ youth and adults.

LGBTQ+ advocates continue push to remove Hamilton as keynote speaker

LGBTQ+ advocates Misty Gedlinske and TJ Hobbs penned their first open letter Jan. 15 opposing the choice of Hamilton, garnering more than 200 signatures.

The letter’s signatories included Oshkosh Deputy Mayor Lynnsey Erickson; City Council members Joe Stephenson, Karl Buelow and LaKeisha Haase; Winnebago County Board member Timothy Ernst; and Nada Elmikashfi, Democratic Rep. Francesca Hong’s chief of staff.

Since then, similar open letters to the Oshkosh Women's Fund have come in from both local organizations like Hate Free Outagamie and national organizations like Surf Equity, which raises awareness about gender gaps in professional surfing. Surf Equity has been outspoken about recognizing trans athletes as part of its mission.

Gedlinske and Hobbs continue to plead with Oshkosh organizations to reject Hamilton as the keynote speaker and replace her with someone who advocates for all women at its event.

LGBTQ+ advocates have said Hamilton’s selection contradicts the mission statement of the Oshkosh Women’s Fund, which is to "improve the lives of women, girls and all members of the communities."

According to the Women’s Fund Power of the Purse Q&A, Hamilton’s "inspirational message closely aligns with our organization’s mission.”

LGBTQ+ advocates argue Hamilton's history of trans-exclusionary statements can’t be ignored.

“Platforming speakers like Bethany Hamilton doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” Villnave said. “It’s part of a larger trend of transphobia becoming part of the mainstream conversation.”

Gedlinske and Hobbs wrote additional open letters to the Oshkosh Convention Center, which is hosting the event, and Discover Oshkosh, which promoted the event on its Facebook, calling on them to ask the Women's Fund to rescind Hamilton’s invitation.

“Since the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation booked her for this event, Bethany Hamilton’s national and global brand and public image have become less about surfing and is now centered largely around her anti-LGBTQ and anti-equality rhetoric and stance,” Gedlinske and Hobbs wrote in their emails.

Neither the Oshkosh Convention Center nor Discover Oshkosh could be reached for comment.

Oshkosh Women’s Fund says Hamilton will focus on resilience, but recent book tour tells different story

Hamilton’s presentation will focus on determination and resilience, “not the issue of transgender athletes in women’s sports,” according to the Oshkosh Women’s Fund’s public statement,

Gedlinske, Hobbs and Hate Free Outagamie have argued Hamilton’s entire public position has pivoted from a message of resilience to anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, overshadowing her journey of survival and perseverance.

Buoyed by support from fellow athlete Riley Gaines, who shares Hamilton’s stance on trans women in competitive sports, the two have joined forces on a book tour where they both have children’s books published by Brave Books, a Christian and conservative children's book publisher established in 2021.

Although Hamilton’s book doesn’t appear to be about her stance on trans athletes, Gaines said at a Missouri event in Jefferson County Feb. 1 they’re using the book tour to address legislation that would exclude trans athletes from competing against women and girls.

Gaines is a former swimming and diving student-athlete who, in 2022, tied for fifth place with swimmer Lia Thomas, the first transgender woman to compete in the NCAA women’s division.

Since then, Gaines has protested transgender athletes' participation in women's sports, including testifying before Congress to reject a Title IX proposal that would include protections for gender identity.

On the heels of a Brave Books Story Hour event in Springfield, Missouri, which in the days ahead fueled LGBTQ+ protests, Hamilton doubled down on her stance when she tweeted on Jan. 29, “Male-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports. Period.”

Amid debates on Hamilton, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in Wisconsin are on the rise

In their open letters to Oshkosh Women’s Fund organizers, Gedlinkse and Hobbs have also raised a safety issue regarding the upcoming Power of the Purse event.

Missouri Secretary of State candidate Valentina Gomez released a video Feb. 4 after she attended one of Hamilton and Gaines’ book tour events. It showed Hamilton and Gaines smiling in photos with the candidate just before she stated, “DEI, LGBTQ+, CRT end the second I get sworn into office.” The video flashed to Gomez wielding an AR-15-style weapon.

Hamilton has not issued comments condemning the video.

“We’re concerned about the safety of our city and its residents as a significant number of Bethany Hamilton supporters have made it clear in their comments and videos since the announcement of her keynote speech that they do not view transgender people as human beings,” Gedlinske and Hobbs wrote in their latest open letter. “Dehumanizing a portion of a population is often a precursor to violence against them.”

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Crime Data Explorer, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have exploded since 2015. Simple assault against trans Wisconsinites, in particular, has quadrupled since 2015. The FBI reported similar jumps in aggravated assaults and intimidation in Wisconsin’s trans community.

Gedlinske and Hobbs have stated signatories of their letter have been “cyberstalked, dehumanized, mocked and threatened” across different media by Hamilton supporters. Not once has Hamilton disavowed any of the remarks, they said.

LGBTQ+ advocates expressed concern about the event itself, as some of the more outspoken Hamilton supporters who espouse anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments intend to be front and center May 9.

It sends a clear message, Villnave said, whenever an organization insists on giving the microphone to someone with Hamilton’s views.

“Advocating hateful rhetoric invites more hateful rhetoric,” Villnave said. “Right now in our country, the reality is that hateful, transphobic rhetoric comes with a violent, radical element.”

Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley. Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Bethany Hamilton, Oshkosh Women's Fund speaker, draws LGBTQ+ outrage