Prime Minister Scott Morrison reckons Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler’s bill to allow sporting clubs to exclude transgender players from single-sex sports is “terrific”. He hadn’t shown he hates the LGBTQIA+ community enough apparently.
Chandler proposed the “Save Women’s Sports Bill” (groans) in November last year. She introduced the bill to the Senate on February 10th.
It’s an amendment to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 that seeks to give sports clubs and volunteers legal power to deny transgendered people from competing in single-sex sports purely because the sex associated with that sport isn’t the one they were assigned at birth.
Gee, I wonder what effect banning an already heavily marginalised & excluded minority (trans people, specifically women) from participating in social physical activities (sport) will have??? 🤔
— Strewth 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@StrewthQueen) February 22, 2022
The Tasmanian senator said in a statement published on February 10th that the bill was proposed to pRoTeCt women’s sports as “males have numerous physical advantages over females in the sporting arena”. She further added that trans players would not be banned from playing sport under her bill but play in “other options that support participation for everyone”.
But the idea of differentiating trans people particularly transwomen from people who identified as the gender they were assigned at birth is dangerous. It perpetuates the false narrative that transwomen aren’t real women. It attempts to invalidate the lived experience of trans athletes like Hannah Mouncey or non-binary AFL ledge Darcy Vescio in the sporting community.
This is nothing but Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist 101 bullshit.
Scott Morrison was campaigning in the Tasmanian seat of Lyons on Tuesday when he expressed support for the bill. He told reporters Chandler’s bill was “terrific” which was an odd thing to call a bill that would legally protect transphobic views.
“I support it, as Claire knows,” he said via The Guardian.
“I think it’s a terrific bill and I’ve given her great encouragement.
“Claire is a champion for women’s sport and I think she’s been right to raise these issues in the way that she has. Well done, Claire.”
“Claire is a champion for women’s sport”
Not true. If you search Hansard, the ONLY time Sen Chandler talks about women’s sport is to use it, to use us, to push an exclusionary and transphobic agenda.
This is not what #WomensSport is about.
This is not who we are.
— Danielle Warby (@DanielleWarby) February 22, 2022
https://twitter.com/gingerandhoney/status/1496005038375800834
He couldn’t attack us one way, so he decided to go for another. A lot of trans kids (i.e. non-binary ones) are already excluded from participating in sport. It’s his persistent dogged reminder that we don’t belong in the world.https://t.co/ZbospXJ4Z4
— Prof Sandy O’Sullivan (Wiradjuri, trans they/them) (@sandyosullivan) February 22, 2022
Equality Tasmania’s Charlie Burton told The Guardian that the bill would strip away transgender people’s “right to live” as well as “cast us into an unequal, uncertain and unsafe status in the eyes of the law”.
“Tasmanian sporting organisations have been actively seeking guidance on how to be more inclusive, not less, with strong support from the Tasmanian government,” they said.
“In supporting this cruel, divisive and unnecessary bill, the prime minister once again underestimates the community’s support for trans and gender diverse children,” Equality Australia chief executive Anna Brown added.
3 Bills which disproportionately affect trans communities this week – Religious Discrimination, Sex Work Decriminalisation, & “Save Women’s Sport”.
God this is exhausting.
Please reach out to your trans friends & family. We are in deep pain, & our suicide rates are sky-high.
— Strewth 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@StrewthQueen) February 10, 2022
Scott Morrison’s comments frankly aren’t at all surprising after the Federal Government’s campaign for the Religious Discrimination and Sex Discrimination bills. But it’s still another dangerous attack on the trans, non-binary and non-conforming gender community.
