The Olympic gold medallist Emily Seebohm has slammed rightwing lobby group Advance for using her image without permission on a transphobic billboard.
The billboards display the words “women’s sport is not for men” alongside images of swimmers Dawn Fraser, Emma McKeon and Seebohm and were launched as part of an attack on the Warringah MP, Zali Steggall, who has been vocal in her support for trans women to compete in female sports.
Both Fraser and Seebohm have publicly stated they are furious their photos have been associated with the campaign. Guardian Australia has attempted to contact McKeon, and does not suggest any of them endorse the ads or the use of their image in any way.
The images were seen on a truck driving around the electorate over the weekend.
Appearing on The Project on Tuesday night, Seebohm said her image had been used without her permission.
“I have no idea who Advance Australia is but … I don’t want my photo next to something saying transphobic,” Seebohm said.
“That is a statement that I’ve never said and I don’t suggest nor support that and ... the photo is just horrific! So the whole thing is just awful to me.”
The Australian Olympic Committee and Swimming Australia have threatened legal action over the billboards, alleging they are using its intellectual property without permission – as the athletes appear in their Olympic swimsuits.
Seebohm previously told Sky News that “biological males are always going to be stronger, fitter, faster than biological females” and that swimming bodies needed “to work out how we can all come together in this sport”.
On Tuesday night Seebohm said her comments were taken out of context and that she believes sport is for everyone.
“I’ve not once said that I don’t want inclusivity in this sport. I want everyone to feel included in this sport, we just have to work out how that works and how this will look,” she said.
“Whether it is a female race, a male race and a transgender race we just don’t know yet, that’s something that needs to be discussed and we need to work out how to do that so everyone feels safe and supported and the competition is fair at the end of the day.”
Seebohm said there was a difference between community and top-level sport and both required different approaches.
On Monday Nine newspapers reported that Fraser had engaged her own solicitor over the billboards, and did not support her image being used.
The Swimming Australia chief executive, Eugenie Buckley, said the organisation condemned the use of the billboards.
“Swimming Australia strongly condemns the use of imagery of our athletes, past and present, by the Advance Australia party in recent political advertising,” Buckley said.
Buckley said if Advance had asked for permission to use the images, it would have been been denied.
“Swimming Australia believes in a competitive environment that is inclusive, fair and equitable for all athletes at the same time. Ultimately, all Australians deserve to feel welcome, safe, valued and celebrated in swimming.”
Advance supports the Liberal Warringah candidate, Katherine Deves, whose comments on trans people have been widely condemned. The lobby group is calling for people to protest vote against her detractors, including those within her own party.
Advance has also run truck advertisements depicting the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, along with a ballot reading “Labor 1” alongside the words “CCP SAYS VOTE Labor”.
The ads, which ran in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, have raised questions about the lack of regulation in political advertising.
