Collins calls for more discussion on transgender issue
National leader Judith Collins believes the transgender sporting issue needs to be discussed further as trailblazing New Zealander Laurel Hubbard gets set to contest weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics.
Hubbard, 43, was named in the New Zealand Olympic team for Tokyo on Monday, meaning she’ll become the first recognised transgender athlete to compete at an Olympics, contesting the women’s super heavyweight category.
Her selection has predictably ignited international debate on the issue and New Zealand’s leading politicians couldn’t escape that yesterday, with Collins praising Hubbard but saying further talks are needed and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying the rules had been followed for her Olympic qualification.
Collins spoke of her admiration for Hubbard and how she had satisfied the selection system. But the National leader felt there were still areas that needed to be explored moving forward.
‘‘Well, I think anybody who gets chosen to be an Olympic team member has already gone through a tremendous amount . . . I mean I just, I’m in awe of anybody who can get to that level,’’ Collins said in a media stand-up yesterday.
‘‘But I would also say that this is clearly an issue that needs to be discussed in a reasoned and sensible way, because there is the issue of biological women being unfairly able to actually compete because they are competing against transgender women who were born biologically male. There is actually, unfortunately, that issue.
‘‘I think most people, like me, have no problem whatsoever with anybody’s sexuality, or whether or not someone’s transgender. The issue comes when other people, unfortunately, are disadvantaged’’.
Collins had some sympathy for Hubbard. ‘‘Well I think there’s clearly this issue that if the work has been done to a satisfactory standard, then we would have more people supporting Laurel.’’ Collins said. Ardern said the rules had been followed for Hubbard’s Olympics qualification and selection and that was what mattered most in the current environment. ‘‘That’s the case for Laurel, but also the team in New Zealand – they have followed the rules,’’ Ardern said yesterday.
Their thoughts came as former
New Zealand Olympic weightlifter Tracey Lambrechs felt two golds should be awarded if Hubbard won her category in Tokyo.
Lambrechs is opposed to Hubbard competing in the women’s category as she believes she has a biological advantage.
‘‘If Laurel was to win gold then the next biological female [should] also win gold . . . then Laurel would be a gold medallist as a transgender, and then we would have our female athlete as an Olympic champion as well,’’ Lambrechs said.
Hubbard said she was ‘‘grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders.’’