Transgender athletes: Robbie Katter to unveil contentious motion in Queensland parliament

The Opposition has doubled down on its backing of a controversial motion that says Queensland’s transgender women shouldn’t be allowed to play women’s sport, but the State Government has voted it down. HAVE YOUR SAY IN OUR POLL

The Opposition has backed in a Katter’s Australian Party motion that said Queensland’s transgender women shouldn’t be allowed to play women’s sport.

KAP Leader Robbie Katter introduced the motion to Parliament on Tuesday, claiming that only biological female athletes should be allowed to play women’s sport to “protect women’s rights” and keep competition fair.

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Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, who spoke on behalf of the government, called the motion “extreme right-wing” and accused the KAP of attempting to cause fear.

“I’m surprised they’re (KAP) using the relatively rare private members motion opportunity on this issue rather than something more relevant to Queensland,” he said.

“The Palaszczuk Government has been supportive of funding these core issues of women in sport, however … it’s not the role of the state to determine who can and cannot play sport based on any factor including gender.

“Individual sports are best placed to determine eligibility. This Parliament making blanket decisions purely based on gender is not only draconian, but goes against every inclusion concept that we stand for as a government.”

On Thursday, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said he doesn’t think transgender women should be allowed to play female sport.

Mr Crisafulli addressed the media after the LNP voted for the motion.

When asked why his party voted for the motion, Mr Crisafulli said there was “nothing in the motion that Queenslanders would be uncomfortable with,” and that he didn’t think transgender women should compete against other females.

Parliament

“I think that’s the view of not just for the majority of Queenslanders, but that’s the view of the majority of female sports stars,” he said.

“In sport, you want a fair contest, and I think that’s fair and reasonable.”

Mr Crisafulli didn’t comment on why the LNP chose not to speak to the motion before voting in favour of it however, he said it wasn’t a motion he would have chosen to move compared to Queensland’s other pressing issues.

“You’re asking me what I think are the issues that matter to Queenslanders, and that isn’t something that I would move in motion,” he said.

“But if I get presented with the motion, I’m always going to vote on how I think if something’s wrong.”

The KAP’s motion called for the Parliament to accept that allowing biological men to play female sport would erode the integrity of female sport, as biological males pose an “unfair competitive advantage against and/or safety risk towards female athletes.”

Only six members of parliament spoke to the motion, however no one from the LNP did despite the party voting in favour of it.

The Greens and the governmen voted against the motion, while One Nation also supported it.

No one abstained from the vote.

Greens Member for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon said the motion was not about women’s rights but about misogyny.

She said she would like to see Brisbane 2032 become the most trans-inclusive Games in history.

Robbie Katter. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“Sports is for everyone,” she said.

“I’ve been a consistent critic of the Olympics as a big waste of money and a track record of draining city’s budget and displacing people, but one bright spark would be Brisbane committed to being the most trans-inclusive games in history, welcoming trans athletes with open arms.”

The motion was voted down.