Thread by @Bernard_Lane

Asked about the fairness of trans women, biological males, in women's sport, Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese says "My view is the sporting organisations should deal with that issue... and they have." Really? #AusPol #Sport

https://twitter.com/msediewyatt/status/1653557871169384448?s=20

Let's go back a bit --- "Australia’s peak sport agency has been rebuked for being evasive, dismissive and insulting to women after it failed to answer basic questions about the effect of transgender players on female sport." The Australian newspaper, 22 June 2020

"Sport Australia’s acting chief executive Rob Dalton said in a parliamentary hearing he didn’t have an opinion when asked if allowing biological males in female sport would put off girls."

"The government agency refuses to say who was consulted over a contentious pro-trans guideline which urges more than 16,000 sporting clubs covering nine million players to reorganise on the basis of self-identified 'gender identity', and not biological sex."

"The document plays down the edge that testosterone gives males, and sets a high hurdle for sporting bodies which might consider relying on a 'strength, stamina and physique' exemption in anti-discrimination law supposed to protect single-sex sport for women and girls."

"The guideline stresses the risk of legal actions that can lead to compensation damages under anti-discrimination law, uses the word unlawful 40 times, warns reliance on its advice will not protect clubs from a successful complaint, and urges them to get their own legal advice."

"Australia’s top sport agency is under pressure to safeguard women’s sport, with rugby emerging as the first international federation to consider a ban on transgender players to prevent injuries and unfairness." 25 July 2020

"World Rugby experts cite a 20-30 per cent higher risk of injury for women tackled by biological males [and] new research showing trans players born male lose little of their physical advantages after 12 months on drugs to lower their testosterone in line with 2015 IOC rules."

“ 'These findings are consistent with concerns raised by many athletes, participants and administrators about biological males competing in women’s sport,' said Liberal Senator Claire Chandler, who is campaigning for female sport."

"She called on Rugby Australia, which has been briefed on the issue, to release the research. 'Evidence about safety risks for female athletes is highly relevant to women’s sport at every level and should be made available,' she said."

"Senator Chandler said: 'So many women have contacted me with concerns about this issue (of trans activist claims on female sport) but they are worried that if they speak publicly, or even internally, they might face consequences at their club or at their work'." 1 Sept 2020

“How do Australians know that they are able to speak freely about women’s rights. The idea that someone could lose their job or be banned from the sport they love for acknowledging that sex exists should be alarming to every fair-minded Australian.”

"... the activist lobby Pride in Sport announced eight sports — including AFL, hockey, netball, rugby, tennis and touch football — had adopted trans-inclusion policies inspired by a 2019 guideline from Sport Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission." 12 Oct 2020

"Pride in Sport, a fee-earning arm of [former gay health rights body] ACON which operates as a national trans activist lobby and 'inclusive' training provider, said 14 other sports had promised to come up with similar policies."

"A joint statement from ACON and sporting codes claimed trans people were 'nearly 11 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population', and said sport would aid mental health."

"The [suicide risk] statistic is based on a 2012 Scottish Transgender Alliance survey with a non-representative sample of 889 people, most online."

"Sport Australia’s inclusive sport director Merrilee Barnes, who led the 2019 trans-inclusion guideline project in collaboration with a hand-picked selection of unnamed groups, also serves on the advisory board for Pride in Sport. She is not paid for this, Sport Australia said."

"Pride in Sport’s manager Beau Newell said [the Oct 2020] trans policy launch at the Sydney Cricket Ground 'demonstrates a fundamental shift within Australian sport towards the greater inclusion of trans and gender diverse athletes'."

"Olympian athlete Tamsyn Lewis, who is part of the group looking at trans-inclusion in track and field events, said there were many ways for trans people to play sport and stay healthy while protecting female sport as a category for girls and women."

"She was 'very concerned' about rushed policymaking with inadequate research on the implications for female participation, safety and fairness."

“ 'If you allow XY (chromosome) males (who identify as female) to participate in a female sport without having undergone any (medical gender transition) that could be really dangerous to females',” she said."

“ 'If there’s a physicality in the sport, like rugby, parents may decide not to allow their daughters to play because they’re worried and there you go, you’re already losing numbers'.”

" 'I feel the recent transgender policies have completely forgotten the reason (male physiological advantage) why the female sport category was put in place'.”

"A legal opinion from Melbourne QC Stuart Wood says the 2019 trans-inclusion document created by the human rights experts is a misleading guide to anti-discrimination law and sport, with potentially 'dangerous practical effects' if sporting bodies rely on it." 25 October 2020

"Mr Wood argues the guideline misrepresents the federal Sex Discrimination Act, playing down exemptions allowing female sport to continue as single-sex, and giving sporting bodies the impression of a black and white choice between trans-inclusion or discrimination complaints."

"[Sex Discrimination Commissioner] Ms Jenkins told Senate estimates she was 'really passionate' about equal access and opportunities for women’s sport, and the guideline was promoting trans inclusion, not taking away any female rights."

"She said the guideline was just based on the laws as they 'currently exist'. In 2013, under Australia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, biological definitions of the terms “woman” and “man” were removed from the Sex Discrimination Act...

..and self-declared 'gender identity' independent of biology was added as a prohibited reason for unfair treatment. Ms Gillard’s office said she was not available for comment when asked by The Australian about the effect of these changes on the sex-based rights of women & girls."

These are excerpts from my reporting in The Australian, so it can't be said that government--both the former Morrison administration and now Mr Albanese's--was unaware of concerns for the safety and fairness of sport for women and girls. For full articles, please Google.