Many MNetters will be aware that there is a huge amount of controversy around consultation on changes to the Gender Recognition Act, and may well have switched off.
However in sport there can be a big difference between single sex and single gender. The consultation does not require you to answer every question and takes ages to complete so can you consider answering just Question 12, and asking parents of girls and those interested in women's sports to do the same.
Question 12 is:
Do you think that the participation of trans people in sport, as
governed by the Equality Act 2010, will be affected by changing the
Gender Recognition Act?
The concern is that though professional sports have their own rules
about transgender participation based on hormone levels rather than
what it says on someone’s birth certificate and so won't be affected,
at amateur levels, hormone testing is not feasible. Experience from
the States is that “women-only” starts to mean “anyone who says they
are a woman” as it becomes too difficult for rule otherwise, and this
potentially has a knock on effect in youth sport, where girls could be
at a disadvantage when competing for squad and training pathway
places.
There will also be an impact on trans-boys, who greatly outnumber
trans-girls, and who would now be expected to play for boys teams.
The issue is more acute in individual sports such as swimming,
athletics and tennis where US experience suggests that qualification
on the basis of gender rather than sex can have a significant impact
on the ability of talented girls to achieve. But equally issues such as
safety may arise in team sports if there is a greater range of size
and strength within an age group.
The Consultation ends on 19 October and can be found here:
consult.education.gov.uk/government-equalities-office/reform-of-the-gender-recognition-act/