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Original poster

The Women's Sports Union legal action - 9 sports including parkrun

80 replies

Helleofabore · 23/04/2026 14:46

https://x.com/wsusportsunion/status/2047253410898968755?s=20

BREAKING: The Women’s Sports Union have formally warned 9 sporting bodies and parkrun that they are in breach of law by failing to protect women’s and girls’ sport from transgender ideology.

While many governing bodies changed their policies to protect women’s sport following the landmark ForWomenScot Supreme Court ruling last year, the sports bodies threatened with legal action today still allow males to compete in female categories.

Biological sex is the essential foundation for safeguarding women and girls and preserving fair competition. Any governing body that continues to permit biological males to compete in the female category contravenes the Equality Act 2010 as interpreted by the Supreme Court.

The ball is in their court. Sporting bodies can act now to comply with the law and protect women’s sport, or face legal action.
@FAWales
@IrishFA
@gbpowerfed
@Swim_England
@BritGymnastics
@RYA
@parkrun
@BritishBaseball
@bsuk
@RoundersEngland

Here is an article in the Telegraph

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2026/04/23/sharron-davies-threatens-parkrun-with-legal-action-trans/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_tw_post_parkrun-with-legal-action-trans/

I will post an archive link when I can get access to archive.is.

Women's Sports Union (@wsusportsunion) on X

BREAKING: The Women’s Sports Union have formally warned 9 sporting bodies and @parkrun that they are in breach of law by failing to protect women’s and girls’ sport from transgender ideology 🚨

https://x.com/wsusportsunion/status/2047253410898968755?s=20

OP posts:
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13
FernandoSor · 27/04/2026 11:41

I’m surprised that Swim England is on that list - have they not implemented the Aquatics GB policy in full?

Scout2016 · 27/04/2026 11:30

Parkrun make a fuss about course records - take a photo of the runner, post it on social media for that course...bollocks is it just a fun run.

Stating the obvious but say a bloke comes 5th in women's category. Women who should have been 5th and all subsequent women, which is tens or hundreds depending on the course, are affected and bumped down a place too. There's women in my club been first women, first in age category and yes it matters to them.

I can thoroughly recommend the documentary Maiden about Tracy's start in sailing and that competition. I had to get the dvd but it's worth it

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Original poster
Helleofabore · 27/04/2026 11:10

Here is another sport.

https://x.com/sportseenuk/status/2048651507734651325?s=46

Another sport wsusportsunion are warning for allowing males in the female category

5. Gymnastics

“Trans people can register in their affirmed gender and compete in domestic competition without restriction”

BritGymnastics say they are awaiting the updated code from EHRC.

BritGymnastics new logo but it’s still the same 2021 “Policy for the participation of trans people in gymnastics competition”

“Competition organisers should accept that an individual has been entered in the appropriate gender category and should accept all entries”

SEENinSport (@SportSEENuk) on X

Another sport @wsusportsunion are warning for allowing males in the female category 5. Gymnastics “Trans people can register in their affirmed gender and compete in domestic competition without restriction” @BritGymnastics say they are awaiting the...

https://x.com/sportseenuk/status/2048651507734651325?s=46

OP posts:
Funtime2 · 26/04/2026 12:03

I just started a thread on AIBU about this actually. I don’t understand the sporting bodies position at all.

Original poster
Helleofabore · 26/04/2026 09:13

I wonder if pickleball was on their radar to check? Maybe worth emailing them

https://womenssportsunion.com/get-involved/#!/contactus

Or maybe they are hoping by listing these 9 organisations that others will realise that potentially they may be targeted eventually too with legal action.

Get Involved

https://womenssportsunion.com/get-involved#!/contactus

OP posts:
oviraptor21 · 25/04/2026 23:16

Thank you for all the information in this thread.
I can't see that pickleball is listed in WRN list of sporting policies.
It is here: https://www.pickleballengland.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PbE-Transgender-policy-update-Sept-2024.pdf
Sadly two-tier - apparently at recreational level "results are not the priority" 🤨
I do wonder if there is a more recent version but if there is it hasn't made it onto the PB website.

https://www.pickleballengland.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PbE-Transgender-policy-update-Sept-2024.pdf

moto748e · 25/04/2026 23:01

That this should still be happening in any contact sport in the UK now is disgraceful. Especially when more and more girls are playing football (and both rugby codes).

WelshSerafina · 25/04/2026 22:45

Very glad to see the Welsh FA on this too. There are completely up to their necks there in ideological gobbledygook. English and Scottish FAs amended policies a year ago. The Welsh FA are stubbornly clinging on. They allow unrestricted mixing of teams at youth level and men to play in women’s teams if they reduce testosterone.

EyesOpening · 25/04/2026 21:36

BeGreatKhakiOtter · 25/04/2026 19:27

I can't see the list on Chrome on Android smartphone, unless I go to options and select "desktop site".
YMMV.

Show quote history

Ah, thank you, that’s very helpful! I can’t find that on my phone either but I can see the list on my laptop.
I’m interested as my brother has recently started his own coaching business in a sport and I asked him what he’d do, he was unsure but he said he’d follow the policy but when I looked, I couldn’t really find much.

KnottyAuty · 25/04/2026 20:58

igelkott2026 · 25/04/2026 18:36

Louise Small had been going round hoovering up ladies course records - (not specifically ones held by trans women - just generally). She's a fabulous athlete and someone should invite her to Aberystwyth. Sounds like she could take that one too.

Show quote history

How excellent! At least something good has come out of this - pushing a woman to run even faster. I hope she leaves the chaps who’ve cheated on the women’s ticket in the dust

BeGreatKhakiOtter · 25/04/2026 19:27

moto748e · 25/04/2026 19:14

Well I can see a full alphabetical list.

Show quote history

I can't see the list on Chrome on Android smartphone, unless I go to options and select "desktop site".
YMMV.

Ariana12 · 25/04/2026 19:25

Helleofabore · 23/04/2026 14:46

https://x.com/wsusportsunion/status/2047253410898968755?s=20

BREAKING: The Women’s Sports Union have formally warned 9 sporting bodies and parkrun that they are in breach of law by failing to protect women’s and girls’ sport from transgender ideology.

While many governing bodies changed their policies to protect women’s sport following the landmark ForWomenScot Supreme Court ruling last year, the sports bodies threatened with legal action today still allow males to compete in female categories.

Biological sex is the essential foundation for safeguarding women and girls and preserving fair competition. Any governing body that continues to permit biological males to compete in the female category contravenes the Equality Act 2010 as interpreted by the Supreme Court.

The ball is in their court. Sporting bodies can act now to comply with the law and protect women’s sport, or face legal action.
@FAWales
@IrishFA
@gbpowerfed
@Swim_England
@BritGymnastics
@RYA
@parkrun
@BritishBaseball
@bsuk
@RoundersEngland

Here is an article in the Telegraph

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2026/04/23/sharron-davies-threatens-parkrun-with-legal-action-trans/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_tw_post_parkrun-with-legal-action-trans/

I will post an archive link when I can get access to archive.is.

Thank you. Good!

moto748e · 25/04/2026 19:14

EyesOpening · 25/04/2026 18:30

Well, that’s what I assumed but I can’t see any 🤷🏻‍♀️

Show quote history

Well I can see a full alphabetical list.

igelkott2026 · 25/04/2026 18:39

youreallcrazy · 24/04/2026 12:48

All of you casually ignoring that this is being done with the assistance of ADF International. ADF who were largely responsible for Roe v Wade being overturned. Who vehemently oppose to gay and lesbian rights and whose idea of feminism is that the woman should be at home functioning as a babyfactory and having no ambitions outside of marriage and taking care of the husband. You're all quite the collection of feminists.

Yes I saw that on a FB forum yesterday.

I suspect that if pushed, parkrun will simply remove public results altogether and people will just get their times sent to them. There have been mutterings about it happening "cos GDPR" (which for the avoidance of doubt is nonsense, as you agree to the set-up when you sign up and can sign up under an assumed name if you are eg worried about a stalker/violent ex) so they might just decide to kill two birds with one stone.

igelkott2026 · 25/04/2026 18:36

Spaghettea · 23/04/2026 20:47

pretty we've asked parkrun to remove cheating Jeska from the women's categories and they even refuse to do that. It's disgusting.

Show quote history

Louise Small had been going round hoovering up ladies course records - (not specifically ones held by trans women - just generally). She's a fabulous athlete and someone should invite her to Aberystwyth. Sounds like she could take that one too.

igelkott2026 · 25/04/2026 18:35

Spaghettea · 23/04/2026 20:45

This has made my day. It will serve parkrun right if they waste money on a legal fight and lose. Although they'll probably have to spend money either way.
Sexist idiots had this coming but they were too bigoted to accept it.

parkrun is a global organisation though - they operate in places like Canada, Germany and Australia with liberal self-ID laws. It's not that simple. However, they could at least encourage people to sign up in the right sex category, as they obviously do for age.

EyesOpening · 25/04/2026 18:30

moto748e · 25/04/2026 18:07

The 'below' bit means you have to scroll down to see the list of sports.

Show quote history

Well, that’s what I assumed but I can’t see any 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Women's Sports Union legal action - 9 sports including parkrun
moto748e · 25/04/2026 18:07

EyesOpening · 25/04/2026 17:34

Am I missing something here? It says
“If your sport is listed as UNLAWFUL below,…”
but I can’t see any sports listed, just totals.

Show quote history

The 'below' bit means you have to scroll down to see the list of sports.

EyesOpening · 25/04/2026 17:34

moto748e · 23/04/2026 17:26

Probably worth linking to this again:

www.womensrights.network/sporting-body-policies

Edited

Am I missing something here? It says
“If your sport is listed as UNLAWFUL below,…”
but I can’t see any sports listed, just totals.

teawamutu · 25/04/2026 16:40

MyAmpleSheep · 25/04/2026 15:44

That's the reasoning you tend to read on Reddit. People here are more thoughful and better informed. I'd like to hear people's own reasons for objecting to ADF being involved in this.

Show quote history

Actual MNers, totally agree. Drive-by scolders from Bluesky and Reddit, not so much. Not sure which this particular poster is.

MyAmpleSheep · 25/04/2026 16:11

If Sharron Davies was anti-abortion on religious grounds (I don't know if she is), does anyone feel that would their support for her position on women in sport?

BusyAzureTraybake · 25/04/2026 15:53

MarieDeGournay · 25/04/2026 15:34

I meant 'Why the ADF?', specifically.

Show quote history

Well we don't know. I'm not sure I've seen them explain anywhere why they chose them specifically. They are an avowedly Christian organisation, but then so was Jennifer Melle's Christian Concern. If Sharron et al think that they are the best fit for them, then I trust them.

Original poster
Helleofabore · 25/04/2026 15:48

teawamutu · 25/04/2026 15:23

I think the level of reasoning is illustrated below.

Show quote history

I think this is a large part of why.

OP posts:
MyAmpleSheep · 25/04/2026 15:44

teawamutu · 25/04/2026 15:23

I think the level of reasoning is illustrated below.

Show quote history

That's the reasoning you tend to read on Reddit. People here are more thoughful and better informed. I'd like to hear people's own reasons for objecting to ADF being involved in this.

MarieDeGournay · 25/04/2026 15:34

BusyAzureTraybake · 25/04/2026 11:26

@MarieDeGournay It's a pity the WSU weren't able to go solo on this

What do you mean by this? Threaten legal action without a legal team?

I meant 'Why the ADF?', specifically.