Sept 11 (Askume) – A group of more than 50 New Zealand Olympians, doctors and sports administrators has called on the government to review guidelines for transgender athletes in community sport, saying they ignore the rights of female athletes, erode fairness and safety.
The organisation expressed its concerns in an open letter to New Zealand Sports Minister Chris Bishop, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
The letter calls for an urgent review of Sport New Zealand (SNZ) guidelines that encourage transgender athletes to compete in sport at the amateur level in the gender they identify with, without having to prove or prove their identity.
“While universal participation in sport has undeniable benefits to physical and mental health, women’s sport can only remain fair and safe if the male advantage is eliminated,” the letter states.
“SNZ’s guidelines ignore the rights of every female athlete and while we celebrate the spirit of inclusion espoused by the Rainbow community, the SNZ document fails to respect the fundamental principles of fairness and safety in sport.”
SNZ referred Askume’ request for comment to Bishop’s office.
Critics of transgender participation in women’s sports point out that athletes who undergo male puberty receive significant musculoskeletal benefits that are not diminished by gender transition.
Supporters of transgender participation argue that there has not been enough research on the effect of being transgender on athletic performance and that excluding transgender athletes is tantamount to discrimination.
The letter was handed to Bishop and Peters on Wednesday by representatives from Save Australian Women’s Sport, a group campaigning against transgender athletes in women’s sport.
Delegates include former Olympic cyclist Gary Anderson and rower Candace Riley.
Bishop told New Zealand media through a spokesperson that she had a constructive meeting with Save the Women on Wednesday but did not have a chance to read the letter.
“It will be interesting to hear what they think on this issue. I will let you know when I have something more to say,” he said.
New Zealand First leader Peters said the letter supported the Conservative Party’s position.
“Fairness in sports and the safety of women and girls are the primary concerns of this post and should not be held back by woke ideology,” she posted.
The SNZ guidance published in 2022 does not apply to specific sports. Individual sports in New Zealand determine how trans athletes compete at specific levels.
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has become the first transgender athlete to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
