Transgender access towomen’s sport to be studied
‘‘Complex’’ work has begun on drafting guidelines associated with transgender access to sport at community level, including rugby.
The work is being undertaken by New Zealand Rugby, with support from Sport New Zealand, and aims to establish ‘‘guiding principles’’ for the inclusion of transgender athletes in sport, and the NZ Rugby Transgender Player Policy.
It follows the release of World Rugby’s transgender guidelines in October that banned transgender women from playing elite women’s rugby. In July, NZR announced it would review its transgender guidelines.
NZ Rugby confirmed in a statement to Stuff that the process is in the ‘‘early stages’’.
While NZR or Sport NZ were unable to comment on the scope of the work, Stuff understands the widereaching research aims to address ‘‘safe and meaningful engagement’’ in sport; pathways of transgender athletes; the impact of transgender athletes’ inclusion in sport on others; the difference between community/ social sport and competitive sport; and whether sports bodies currently have transgender inclusion policies in place.
Stuff understands public policy firm Allen + Clarke has been contracted, with consultants based in Wellington and Melbourne, conducting interviews with ‘‘stakeholders’’, either in person or via video conferencing.
University of Waikato sociology professor Holly Thorpe said while this was a ‘‘very complex issue’’, she was pleased Sport NZ and NZ Rugby were ‘‘prioritising transgender policy development’’.
She said there were many opinions on the topic of transgender inclusion in sport but ‘‘the loudest
and most vocal should not necessarily get the most space’’.
‘‘There are some very problematic and troubling ideas underpinning some of the arguments that must be fleshed out before we can move towards ethical and fair policy developments,’’ she said.
Among those contributing their expertise is David Rutherford from the Centre for Sport and Human Rights.
He said any review must be grounded in New Zealand’s commitments to international human rights. ‘‘Sport NZ should require as a minimum standard for sports organisations, a policy commitment to respect human rights, due diligence to understand human rights risks, and effective remedies where abuse happens.
‘‘If they do that the health and gender rights issues relating to discrimination and abuse in sport will be properly dealt with.’’
Leading sport advocacy organisation Women in Sport Aotearoa has also been approached.
Chief executive Rachel Froggatt applauds the move by Sport NZ and NZ Rugby.
‘‘We believe that sport should be fully inclusive of diverse communities. Currently, transgender people are facing barriers – and even discrimination – when they seek involvement in sport,’’ she said.
‘‘We believe that it is everyone’s job – as collective guardians of the sports system – to make sure that no one is left behind. These guidelines make a good start.’’
Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa president Dr Jaimie Veale has not yet been approached, but is open to working with NZ Rugby and Sport NZ.
Veale, from Waikato University, was the principal investigator for Counting Ourselves, the most comprehensive research to date, investigating the health and wellbeing of transgender and genderdiverse communities in New Zealand.
She said transgender people face inequities and barriers with playing sport, and this group had lower health outcomes and wellbeing. Transgender people were nine times more likely to report high or very high psychological distress compared to the general population.
This group is also actively avoiding sport because they are worried about the way they would be treated. One in five have also been told they could only participate in sport based on their sex assigned at birth.
Her research found only 14 per cent of transgender research participants had engaged in any sporting activities in the last four weeks, half of the rate of the general population.
‘‘If we have positive and affirming guidelines, then transgender people will know where they stand and this will help to reduce the barriers to accessing sport that they face,’’ she said.
Proponents of transgender athletes’ inclusion – particularly in women’s sport – argue transgender women have an unfair physiological advantage.
The International Olympic Committee currently does not require transgender elite female athletes to undergo reassignment surgery, and they must have a blood testosterone level lower that 10 nanomoles (nmol/L) per litre.
A ‘‘normal, healthy’’ female testosterone level is between 0 and 1.7 nmol/L. For healthy men they average 20 nmol/L. Testosterone contributes to muscle mass, lung capacity, bone density and recovery.
University of Otago physiology professor Alison Heather, who cowrote Transwomen in elite sport: scientific and ethical considerations in 2019, has been approached to contribute.
Her research addressed testosterone levels and physiology of transwomen athletes, whether they had an unfair physiological advantage over other female athletes, and if the inclusion of transwomen in women’s sport aligns with the notion of inclusion and fairness.
She suggests, to be more inclusive of transgender athletes, the traditional male/female structure of sport needs to be dismantled.
‘‘It’s hopefully looking at the safety ... the fairness of it to all the participants, not just transfemales,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m sure there is a solution that can be found but it has to be a solution that doesn’t put biological females at risk because we’ve got heavier weighted, stronger transwomen playing against them.
‘‘They do have a male physique underneath their hormonal regime. We need to be mindful of that. I’m glad we’re having that discussion,’’ Heather said.