I've had a bit of media of late after appearing on SBS Insight program in Australia ('Gender Games' - April 2022).
As a result there have been a number of print articles doing the rounds resulting in a chronic case of "Chinese Whispers" and me being misquoted and misrepresented by many of the headlines and article contents.
My words in many articles have been taken out of context and I can understand if many people are rather outraged at the hypocritical way I have been presented.
Let me explain in my own words and I'll start with these two points...
- Do I think there should be a blanket ban on trans women in women's sport - NO
- Do I think there should be reasonable restrictions for trans women to access women's sport - YES (but it gets complicated!)
Community Sport and Elite/Pro Sport
There's a difference.
My sporting life has evolved around the elite & professional side of sport and I haven't had much to do with community, or social, level sport. I think everyone agrees that sport should be a past time that every person should be able to enjoy. There are so many benefits to participating in sport that I truly feel that it should be a part of every person's life.
When it comes to elite and pro level sport however, there are different stakes at play. There are medals, records, status and prize money. It becomes people's livelihoods and careers and it is for this reason that constraints to women's sport must exist and the science, and impact of transition, be understood to such a degree to ensure reasonable 'protection' of women's sport.