Gympie sports leaders Andrew Noy, Colleen Miller weigh in on transgender issue

Footy and netball chiefs in one of Queensland’s sports-mad cities say they won’t stand for discrimination of transgender athletes but a reality must not be ignored when it comes to fairness on their fields.

Two of Gympie’s grassroots sports leaders say the inclusion of transgender women has to keep fairness front at centre for female athletes or else they will lose out.

The presidents of Gympie’s Junior Rugby League and Netball competitions have opened up on their thoughts about the controversy, saying biologically female athletes would be at a disadvantage in any competition which included transgender players.

The issue of what impact transgender women may have on female competitions was thrust into the national spotlight this past week during the federal election campaign.

Conservative Liberal MPs, including backbencher Claire Chandler, have pushed for new legal exclusion of transgender people from single sex sports.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison initially supported the proposed legislation but has subsequently backed off.

The issue of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports was put in the spotlight in the federal election, with LNP Senator Claire Chandler proposing a law which would ban them from competing in single sex sports. Picture: Kenji Sato

Transgender discrimination claims came further into the spotlight following controversial comments this week from Warringah candidate Katherine Deves, who also backs the bill.

Equality Campaigners have called the proposal “divisive and unnecessary”.

Gympie Devils Juniors president Andrew Noy outright rejected any attempt to vilify or discriminate against transgender athletes.

“It’s their life, their body, and they can do what they want,” Mr Noy said.

However, inclusion he said, could not come at the expense of fairness for others on the sporting field.

Gympie Junior Rugby League president Andrew Noy said the inclusion of transgender players in women‘s sports would need to include a policy to ensure they did not dominate, similar to the rules around older players competing in a lower age bracket. Picture: Facebook

“I don’t believe they should be playing in the women’s competition,” Mr Noy said.

At Gympie’s Rugby League competition boy and girls were able to play mixed games until age 13.

Mr Noy said the split into men’s and women’s teams at this age coincided with the differences between players’ physical developments at puberty.

There were changes in the way the sport was played too, he said, including more physical aggression in the men’s games – a cultural attitude Mr Noy did not think was a benefit.

“Sadly there are coaches that get in and encourage this,” Mr Noy said.

If transgender player were allowed he said it would need to be under a system similar to the age guidelines employed by competitions like the Sunshine Coast’s.

Gympie Netball president Colleen Miller said the differences between men and women on the court was highlighted by a recent exhibition match between the Queensland Suns men’s team and the Sunshine Coast Lightning women’s team, which the Suns won 76-49.

“If the player goes out and dominates (after being allowed to compete in a lower age range), they get pulled out,” Mr Noy said.

“Let (transgender players) in and play; you’ve just got to be really careful they’re not dominating.”

Gympie netball president Colleen Miller said social clubs across Queensland had already begun moving primarily to mixed competitions, with players aware of this when they signed up.

Mrs Miller said this did not change the reality of differences between the sexes, though.

She highlighted a March exhibition game between the Queensland Suns men’s team and the Sunshine Coast Lightning women’s team as an example.

The Suns won the intersex battle 76-49.

“There’s just stuff females can’t do,” Mrs Miller said.

These included men’s team’s greater ability to “elevate”, their longer reach, and their height: the Suns boasted a 7-foot goal shooter, she said, who only had to “reach up” to score.

“It would be to the detriment of women’s sport to have them play (in a women’s competition),” Mr Miller said.

Mr Noy agreed saying a separate division, whether mixed or otherwise, was probably the “only way to go”.

This would take time to establish, he said, much as the girls and women‘s competitions had done before flourishing in recent years.

“It’s taken a long time to build that,” Mr Noy said.