Female athletes ‘at risk from Scots trans policy’
Scottish female athletes will lose out on medals because of Nicola Sturgeon’s transgender reforms, former Olympians have warned. Sharron Davies, the former swimmer, and Mara Yamauchi, the ex-runner, yesterday raised concerns about how plans to allow people to change their legal sex by signing a declaration would affect sporting fairness. The pair warned that women’s sport was already at risk of being ruined by male-bodied athletes competing in female categories.
SCOTTISH female athletes will lose out on medals because of Nicola Sturgeon’s transgender reforms, former Olympians have warned.
Sharron Davies, the former swimmer, and Mara Yamauchi, the ex-runner, yesterday raised concerns about how plans to allow people to change their legal sex by signing a declaration would affect sporting fairness.
The pair warned that women’s sport was already at risk of being ruined by male-bodied athletes competing in female categories. Ms Davies added that sportswomen currently competing were “scared” of speaking out over the issue because sporting bodies were attempting to silence them and they feared losing sponsorship revenue.
She offered to give evidence to a Holyrood committee examining the legislation and accused the SNP of only consulting about trans issues with people who agreed with its agenda.
Supporters of the SNP reforms have insisted they will have no impact on sport, as governing bodies will still be able to exclude trans athletes.
However, Ms Yamauchi, who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, told the Edinburgh event, organised by For Women Scotland, the legal changes would make organisations more reluctant to exclude trans athletes.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Sports governing bodies set their own rules for participation of trans people. The Gender Recognition Bill does not change the Equality Act in any way.”
An SNP-backed slavery commission said Scotland should create a museum about its place in colonialism. The body, headed by Sir Geoff Palmer, said a museum was needed to “address our role in empire, colonialism and slavery”.