https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rowing/2023/05/04/british-rowing-defy-world-governing-body-transgender-rules/
Exclusive by DT. British rowing is considering banning transgender athletes from women's rowing unless they were born female, in an unprecendented members' vote defying the sport's global governing body.
It is asking its 31,500 members (45% women) to vote by 5pm next Friday on their preferred policy. This is one of three choices, the others being a continuation of existing policy - testosterone to be only under 5nmol/1 or alignment with World Rowing's 2.5 nmol/1.
A board meeting on 27 May will discuss the vote. Even if an overwhelming majority do vote to protect the female only category, the outcome will still be subject to board approval. One concern is that if British Rowing diverges from World Rowing it could open itself up to the threat of litigation.
Minutes of a board meeting in September 2021 reveal that one female director was worried about British Rowing responding too hastily to a survey on transgender inclusion, appealing to the board to take more time to "consider the wider issues raised". In spite of this opposition and the concern of Mark Davies, British Rowing Chairman, that the current trans policy was a threat to progress in women's sport (he wanted an open category for trans rowers), those sympathetic to trans ideology have held sway up to now.