Ellia Green slams World Athletics over decision to ban transgender athletes

Australian Olympic gold medallist Ellia Green has condemned the transgender ban put into place by World Athletics this week.

Ellia Green. Picture: Instagam / @elliagreen

Australian Olympic gold medallist Ellia Green has opened up on the bombshell transgender ban put into place by World Athletics this week.

Athletics president Sebastian Coe delivered the news on Friday that transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in female track and field events regardless of their levels of testosterone.

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The news of the ban sent shockwaves across the sporting globe and divided opinions.

Fair Play For Women, a UK-based body which says its aim is to “defend the sex-based rights of women and girls”, welcomed the move.

“This is a reversal of their unfair testosterone suppression policy and makes good on Coe’s commitment to protect female sport,” it tweeted.

But LGBTQ+ rights organisation Stonewall labelled it “disappointing”.

“It is so disappointing to see World Athletics announce a unilateral ban on trans women in track and field events,” Stonewall tweeted.

“Their own statement recognises that there are no trans women competing at an international level and that they have no specific evidence to justify the ban.”

Green said the decision wasn’t a shock, but labelled it “upsetting” and a move that will only further marginalise transgender athletes.

Ellia Green. Picture: Instagram / @elliagreen

Trans women won’t be able to compete. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

“It wasn’t surprising considering what’s going on in the world and the hate and discrimination directed at trans people. It wasn’t surprising to see. It was upsetting to see,” Green said on Channel 9’s Sports Sunday.

“I think it’s only furthering the marginalisation and discrimination against trans people. It’s something that is already such a huge issue in society, let alone sports.

“The problems that are faced by transgender people are huge in society. So, to then bring that into sport and the challenges that it faces, it’s a whole other topic.

“I think that the media and the way that it’s portrayed can do a lot better there’s so many opinions available on social media and abuse directed at the athletes personally. I think there’s a lot to be done in terms of that.”

The former Rugby Sevens gold medal winner was asked where the future now lies for transgender athletes in the wake of the athletics ban,

“I think before that answer is available, we first need to see trans people as human beings. I think the key word there is to be seen,” Green said.

“And I think the transphobia and hate crime towards trans people is something that needs to be dealt with before we can even consider what’s done with sport.

“I think it’s a very one-sided debate at the moment. We’re not hearing enough of what can benefit sport as a whole by having more involvement of diverse people.”

The ban follows FINA’s stance earlier this year. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Green, who is now retired, played professional Rugby Sevens for about 10 years and was one of the stars of Australia’s gold medal-winning women’s Rugby Sevens team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He came out publicly as a transgender man last year.

Green said he made a promise to himself that when his rugby career ended he would live the rest of his life in the body he knew he was meant to be in.

“Since my retirement it’s actually been the best feeling in the world to be able to be comfortable in me. And it’s something that I had planned for so long leading up to my retirement,” he said.

“It takes a lot of courage to be able to do something like this and I really do feel for all trans people in the world who don’t have the courage to do that.

“It can be an isolating feeling. And I think there needs to be more support and kindness for trans people in the community.”

World Athletics’ stance is similar to the position swimming’s world governing body FINA took earlier this year.

Swimming also restricted the participation of male-to-female transgender athletes, ruling they must have completed their transition before the age of 12 to be able to compete at the highest levels.

Originally published as Ellia Green slams World Athletics over decision to ban transgender athletes