New Zealand Announces Inclusive Guidance For Trans Athletes
In New Zealand, trans athletes will be able to participate in community sport in the gender they identify with and won't need to prove or justify their identity, according to new guiding principles released by Sport New Zealand.
The guidelines do not apply to elite sport and it will be up to individual sports to define where and how trans athletes participate, the governing body said, according to the Guardian.
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“An inclusive transgender policy allows individuals to take part as their self-determined gender and not as the sex they were assigned at birth,” Sport New Zealand (SNZ) said. “It does not ask people to prove or otherwise justify their gender, sex, or gender identity.”
Trans participation in sport has proved controversial, with women’s groups and some athletes saying trans athletes should be banned from female categories to ensure fair competition.
Supporters of trans participation argue that not enough research has been done into whether trans athletes have an unfair advantage against women.
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first trans athlete to compete at the Olympics Games in Tokyo last year.
SNZ said it was essential that community sport leaders were committed to inclusion and could show that commitment by using pronouns in email signatures and communications, and appointing inclusion officers.
Changing rooms and bathing facilities need to ensure privacy so that all people can use them safely and comfortably, for example by removing urinals to make bathrooms “gender neutral” and making open showers private.
The guidelines also said sports should consider whether gender-specific uniforms were necessary and redesign them to accommodate different body types and shapes.
Read related myGwork articles here:
British Triathlon Bans Trans Athletes From Women’s Competitions And Announces "Open" Category
FINA Effectively Restricts Trans Athletes From Competing In Women’s Swimming Competitions
Majority Of Australian Female Athletes Support The Inclusion Of Trans Women
NCAA Adopts New Policy For Trans Athletes
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