The international governing body for swimmers has now officially banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s elite swimming events. The only exception is for trans females who have completed a transition before the age of 12. The trans female must also maintain a testosterone level below 2.5 nmol/L.
Now, another women’s sport has joined swimming in banning trans women from the sport. “[M]ale-to-female (transwomen) players are unable to play in sanctioned women’s International Rugby League matches, says the International Rugby League.
One mother is relieved about this development, tweeting, “I am relieved and delighted my daughter’s sport is now safe and fair at elite level.”
The International Rugby League stresses the issue of safety in its consideration of this issue. The League hasn’t made a final decision and said it “is continuing work to review and update rules about transgender participation in women’s international rugby league and will seek to use the upcoming World Cup to help develop a comprehensive inclusion policy.”
The League continued, “[i]n the interests of avoiding unnecessary welfare, legal and reputational risk to International Rugby League competitions, and those competing therein, the IRL believes there is a requirement and responsibility to further consult and complete additional research before finalising (sic) its policy.” In discussing the issue of safety the League said, “[i]t is the IRL’s responsibility to balance the individual’s right to participate – a long-standing principle of rugby league and at its heart from the day it was established – against perceived risk to other participants, and to ensure all are given a fair hearing.”
Fair Play For Women put it this way: “Transwomen aren’t being banned from sport. They are simply being banned from the female category – because it’s the wrong category for them”
Back in 2019 women’s rugby referees were quitting because trans women had started to play along with women. These referees said they feared rules allowing transgender women to play would lead to serious injuries. Referees also stated they had been “warned not to challenge bearded or heavily muscled players appearing for women’s teams,” reported The Times.
Man wears his own trash for a month to prove a point
The prospect of allowing women who were born male to play with females in sports makes no sense at all. It is not discrimination, it is a matter of safety and fairness. What about women’s boxing? Does anyone with a rational mind think trans women should be allowed to compete there too? What do you think about this issue?
