Proposal: Withhold Taxpayer Funding for Sports Bodies Until Female Single-Sex Category Is Safeguarded
Campaigners say that transgender individuals competing in women’s sports pose a threat to female athletes and the integrity of female sports as a whole. They argue that taxpayers’ funding should be withdrawn from sporting bodies that do not protect female same-sex sports.
A think tank called Policy Exchange released a report on Friday, claiming that self-declared identity policies are compromising sex-based categories and affecting women’s sports. They argued that this issue pervades the sector, impacting the fairness, participation, and safety of women and girls in sports.
Despite pushback from some sections of the sporting world, including former Olympic medalists, some sports bodies have been hesitant to acknowledge the physical advantage that biological males possess. This has led to instances where transgender women, who are biological males, have competed and succeeded in female sports.
Policy Exchange’s head of biology matters and equality and identity, Lottie Moore, stressed that the celebration of inclusivity and progressiveness in this context has compromised female fairness and participation.
The report recommended that National Governing Bodies update their policies to protect the female single-sex category, or else they risk losing taxpayer funding.
‘Injustices are Happening All over Sport’
Former Olympian swimmer Sharon Davies, who contributed to the report, highlighted the need for a protected single-sex category restricted to biological females in all levels of sport.
She lamented the fact that senior policymakers and governing bodies have been neglecting this issue, despite public outrage over transgender individuals competing in women’s sports.
If these recommendations are not implemented, the report warned that women and girls may feel less inclined to participate in sports altogether, potentially leading to a decline in female athleticism and activity.
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