UK transgender women planning move to Ireland to continue football career
A number of transgender soccer players are planning to relocate to Ireland to continue their football career following a recent ban introduced by the English Football Association.
The FA has introduced new rules which means transgender women will not be able to play competitively at any level following last month's UK Supreme Court verdict.
Natalie Washington, a campaigner at Football v Transphobia, said: 'The people I know that are talking about this are saying: 'Well, that's it for football for me.'
Read more: Transgender women banned from playing women's football by English FA
'Most people clearly don't feel that they can go and play in the men's game for reasons of safety, for reasons of comfort.'
Because of the change in the FA's rules, trans women are now considering coming to play football in Ireland as the FAI deal on the eligibility of a player on a case by case basis.
An FAI Spokesperson said: 'The FAI continues to consult with relevant stakeholders on the policy around gender eligibility.
'FIFA is undertaking its own comprehensive review which may influence the development of the FAI's policy. Currently, any query on the eligibility of a player is dealt with on a player-by-player basis, with a clear commitment to assessing all relevant factors in a reasonable and proportionate way.'
The FA's change of stance follows a UK Supreme Court ruling which clarified that references to sex in the Equality Act meant biological sex.
It has been welcomed by human rights charity Sex Matters as their director of campaigns Fiona McAnena said: 'The FA has had ample evidence of the harms to women and girls caused by its nonsensical policy of letting men who identify as women play in women's teams.
'Every other sporting body now needs to re-establish a genuine women's category, and this shameful period in history will finally be brought to an end.'
Now, with the rules changing, some trans women are seeking to play football in Ireland.
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