Overall a reasonably balanced report.
The Sports Councils guidance was welcomed by Women in Sport, who supported the recommendation of creating well evidenced inclusion policies.
The campaign groups Sex Matters and Fair Play For Women, commended the focus on safety and fairness but were disappointed that the guidance did not restrict transgender athletes from competing in the sex category of their choice.
Still some issues.
The transgender youth charity Mermaids argued that the guidance misinterpreted the Equality Act 2010 and ignored lived experiences of trans people.
No surprises there considering they don't understand the Equality Act 2010 and frequently trot out inaccuracies about it.
The LGBTIQ+ Sport & Physical Activity Alliance criticised the guidance for presenting “a false dichotomy of inclusion and fairness”, and stated that the guidance will impact negatively on inclusion of transgender people in sport.
No surprises here either they have failed in their mission to completely decimate female sports and give not one shiny shit for women and girls.
This issue is set in the context of wider societal debate surrounding equality for transgender people. A range of similar views from LGBT+ organisations have been shared following recent publication of IFs’ regulations. They describe regulations as discriminatory, in contravention of the IOC framework and human rights, lacking evidence, and lacking compassion for transgender athletes, which could result in psychological harm.
No concern for the human rights of women of course, nor any compassion for women and the psychological (and physical) harm caused to them.
There are concerns that the age 12 cut-off in swimming is arbitrary, because the age of puberty varies, transitioning is restricted to older ages, and access to NHS gender identity services is constrained.
Hmm.
Some proponents of restricting participation in the female category have concerns that loss of fair competition could result in loss of rankings and funding opportunities for women, resulting in decreased participation in sport. Further concern was raised that allowing anyone to self-identify into the
female category could compromise both fairness and physical safety in some sports
Precisely.