Transgender activist and self-described “internationally acclaimed author” Eli Erlick ignited fury across social media after proudly admitting to enjoying victories over biological women in archery competitions “out of spite.”
The controversial comment, posted on May 20, was swiftly condemned by critics who accused the individual of being misogynistic and exploiting gender policies for personal gain.
“I love winning against cis women in archery competitions just to spite the anti-trans sports police,” the activist wrote.
Transgender archer ignites backlash for admitting to enjoying winning against biological women to “spite the anti-trans”
Contrary to what the post may suggest, Eli is not a professional archer, instead being best known for writing and academic pursuits.
In 2011, Eli co-founded Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER), an organization aimed at reforming education environments for transgender students.
Currently pursuing a PhD in political philosophy and social movements, Eli has made it clear that the purpose of the academic work is to motivate debate surrounding the realities of transgender individuals.
However, it wasn’t academic credentials or philosophy that drew people’s attention, but what they perceived as Eli gloating over competing against biological women.
“It’s always the strongest men who choose the weakest opponents,” one reader wrote sarcastically.
“It’d be easier to say, ‘I love to cheat,’” another added. “Bro literally just said he likes beating women.”
The backlash did little to faze Eli, who has a history of purposely uploading inflammatory posts for social media attention.
Replying to a commenter, Eli shared a photo by the beach with the caption, “I plan to win a swimming competition next with my highly muscular 8-foot-wingspan,” poking fun at accusations of unfair biological advantages.
The post coincided with the launch of Eli’s newest book, which chronicles the experiences of 30 transgender individuals
Image credits: Eli Erlick/Facebook
Eli’s provocative commentary seems to be more than a spur-of-the-moment attempt at trolling X. The post was strategically timed to generate attention ahead of the release of a new book titled Before Gender, set to hit shelves tomorrow (May 27).
In the book, Eli chronicles the lives of 30 transgender individuals from the 1930s onwards, touching on the challenges they experienced and their contributions to society.
The work is expected to attract both acclaim and controversy, as it also touches on the earliest uses of hormonal therapy with the purpose of self-identification in the 20th century.
As previously mentioned, This isn’t the first time Eli has employed inflammatory tactics to boost visibility. For instance, in October 2023, the author uploaded a compilation of social media posts designed specifically to annoy detractors.
“I’ll keep posting until [X] inevitably kicks me off,” Eli wrote alongside a picture of a staged Halloween photo featuring hormonal pills arranged next to candy. The caption jokingly suggested Eli had found “80mg of estradiol in a kid’s Halloween bag.”
Beyond Eli’s social media activity, the photo touched on a debate currently gripping US sports organizations—the participation of trans women in female sports and how it affects fair competition.
Allowing transgender athletes to compete under their gender identity has been a source of debate among archery organizations
Archery competitions in the United States are governed by detailed classifications based on equipment type, age, and, depending on the league, gender.
At the college level, rules adhere to a blend of USA Archery and Archery Shooter’s Association (ASA) guidelines, which maintain strict equipment standards and allow only specific types of sights, arrow diameters, and stabilizers.
While gendered division still exists, recent developments in gender policy have complicated the landscape.
On one hand, in February 2023, the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) adopted a new policy that specifies:
“In NFAA-sanctioned gender-divided competitions, athletes shall only be eligible to compete in the gender division corresponding with the gender of the athlete appearing upon the athlete’s original birth certificate.”
The rule means that for competitions under NFAA, athletes must compete with their sex assigned at birth, not their gender identity.
In response, USA Archery (USAA) published its new guidelines in December 2023, allowing transgender participation with minimal hurdles—requiring only certain testosterone levels and documentation.
The guidelines were adopted “to create a clear pathway for the participation of both transgender and non-binary athletes.”
“Struggling for attention.” Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts on the post
