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New Zealand government sporting body scraps transgender directive
New Zealand government sporting body scraps transgender directive

The Hindu

time7 days ago

  • Politics
  • The Hindu

New Zealand government sporting body scraps transgender directive

A top New Zealand minister on Thursday declared 'biological males have no place in women's sports', as the government moved to scrap guidelines for transgender athletes in local competitions. Sports around the world are wrestling with how to govern transgender participation, with the US Olympic Committee and English Football Association among those to recently restrict trans athletes from women's sport. Government agency Sport NZ in 2022 developed 'guiding principles for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport'. Senior government minister Winston Peters—New Zealand's top diplomat—said on Thursday the 'woke' guidelines had been scrapped. 'The state has no place in people's bedrooms—and biological males have no place in women's sports,' Peters said in a statement. 'This is purely about ensuring there is safety and security for girls and women in the sports they play at every level.' New Zealand has for years been seen as a world leader in allowing transgender participation in sport. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard in 2021 at Tokyo became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics, entering the over-87 kilogramme women's category. The now-dropped guiding principles included wellbeing and safety, anti-discrimination and anti-bullying. They gave advice on providing private spaces in bathrooms and using gender-inclusive language. 'Transgender people can take part in sports in the gender they identify with,' the guidelines read, according to national broadcaster Radio New Zealand. 'Failing transgender people' Sports organisations were not bound by the guidelines. Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said the guidelines were dropped at the request of the government. 'The government has directed Sport NZ to stop all work on the Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport and remove them from our website,' Castle said. 'As a result of this decision, the guiding principles will no longer be available and the document has been removed from the Sport NZ website. Sporting organisations will continue to make their own decisions on the participation of transgender people in community sport and there are a range of expert organisations that can provide support.' In a statement, the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa said it was 'deeply disappointed' by the change. The decision would worsen an 'unwelcoming and isolating culture for trans and non-binary people in sport', it said. Benjamin Doyle, a member of the opposition Green Party, said the government was 'failing transgender people'. 'Everyone deserves to feel safe in sport,' Doyle said. 'These guidelines were just that—guidelines that could keep our communities safe, which no one was bound to adhere to, and now they've been scrapped.'

New Zealand Scraps Transgender Sports Guidelines, Sparks Controversy
New Zealand Scraps Transgender Sports Guidelines, Sparks Controversy

News18

time7 days ago

  • Politics
  • News18

New Zealand Scraps Transgender Sports Guidelines, Sparks Controversy

Last Updated: New Zealand abolished guidelines for transgender athletes in local sports, stating "biological males have no place in women's sports," aiming to ensure female athletes' safety. A top New Zealand minister announced on Thursday that 'biological males have no place in women's sports" as the government decided to eliminate guidelines for transgender athletes in local competitions. Globally, sports organizations are grappling with how to manage transgender participation. Recently, the US Olympic Committee and the English Football Association have both imposed restrictions on trans athletes in women's sports. In 2022, Sport NZ, a government agency, developed 'guiding principles for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport." Senior government minister Winston Peters, New Zealand's leading diplomat, confirmed on Thursday that these 'woke" guidelines had been abolished. 'The state has no place in people's bedrooms — and biological males have no place in women's sports," Peters stated. 'This is purely about ensuring there is safety and security for girls and women in the sports they play at every level." New Zealand has long been regarded as a pioneer in allowing transgender participation in sports. In 2021, weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics, entering the over-87 kilogram women's category in Tokyo. The now-discarded guiding principles focused on wellbeing and safety, anti-discrimination, and anti-bullying. They provided advice on offering private spaces in bathrooms and using gender-inclusive language. 'Transgender people can take part in sports in the gender they identify with," the guidelines stated, according to Radio New Zealand. Failing The Trans Community Sports organisations were not obligated to follow these guidelines. Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle stated that the guidelines were withdrawn at the government's request. 'The government has directed Sport NZ to stop all work on the Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport and remove them from our website," Castle said. 'As a result of this decision, the guiding principles will no longer be available, and the document has been removed from the Sport NZ website. 'Sporting organisations will continue to make their own decisions on the participation of transgender people in community sport and there are a range of expert organisations that can provide support." The Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa expressed 'deep disappointment" with the change, stating that it would exacerbate an 'unwelcoming and isolating culture for trans and non-binary people in sport." Benjamin Doyle, a member of the opposition Green Party, criticised the government's decision, saying they were 'failing transgender people." 'Everyone deserves to feel safe in sport," Doyle said. 'These guidelines were just that — guidelines that could keep our communities safe, which no one was bound to adhere to, and now they've been scrapped." With AFP Inputs Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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