Transgender athlete furore explodes over ‘rage bait’ claim

An Aussie TV icon has gone public with a stinging rebuke of commentator Peter FitzSimons over startling comments.

Lucy Zelic has gone public with a resolute response to recent comments made by Peter FitzSimons.

The author on Saturday made startling claims in accusing media organisations of producing “rage bait” content surrounding the participation of transgender athletes in sport.

Former SBS TV icon Zelic has taken exception to the columnist’s claims, sharing a direct response to the media commentator on social media.

“Hi @Peter_Fitz - I read your column. For what it’s worth, I am not interested in trading insults,” Zelic posted on X on Monday.

“I am just curious as to why your compassion never extends to the women and girls who are genuinely affected by these issues, which exceed the parameters of sport?

“You’ve painted a very one-sided picture that attracts vitriol from BOTH sides of the aisle. That you are impervious to the death threats and vile insults being hurled at women daily over their belief that the female sports category is worthy of protection, beggars belief.”

The 38-year-old went on to highlight issues surrounding the presence of transgender athletes inside female dressing rooms - something that has been a fiercely debated topic in the United States.

Lucy Zelic with Craig Foster and Peter FitzSimons on Channel 9.

She said the mums of junior female athletes are “qualified” to share their feelings surrounding the safety, fairness and integrity of the competition their daughters compete in.

“But, according to you, we’re all just a bunch of “bastards” laughing maniacally over a glass of pinot and whipping up hatred for clicks and votes,” Zelic posted.

“Is this what you’ve reduced women to? Rage mongers, who just need to shut the hell-up or risk the ire of our friends over at Media Watch, who won’t account for those who wish to remain anonymous, or for the bureaucrats who must protect their reputations at all costs?

“There’s nothing to gain for those who choose to speak out, except venom, cancellation, and the loss of their livelihood.”

She went on to post: “It’s easy to adopt an issue based on compassionate grounds when you’re sitting in the comfort of your mansion, but it’s far harder to cross paths with a rape survivor, who loved playing in her local women’s hockey team, until the presence of a male in her changing room triggered her.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I defended your right to have one when it came to Australian football but choosing to flippantly glaze over girls losing spots on teams and women being forced into silence? This one’s indefensible mate.

Simone Biles (left), Riley Gaines (top right) and Danica Partick (bottom left) have been involved in a recent transgender athlete storm. Picture: Getty, Instagram.

“Godspeed to you though. My door is always open to chat more.”

You can read Zelic’s full comments on X here.

The football TV presenter-turned women’s rights advocate on Monday evening also responded to one social media user calling her a “sicko transphobe”.

Zelic responded: “I am not a transphobe, Leanne. I don’t wish any harm, have any ill-feelings, or specified hatred towards trans-identified individuals.

“I just don’t believe that males should be able to compete in women’s sport, or access female-only spaces for the reasons I have already listed.

“This may surprise you, but both things can be true at once.

“I also don’t believe it’s ethical or humane for sporting organisations to demand that trans-identified males suppress their testosterone levels just so they can compete in the female categories.”

FitzSimons on Saturday wrote in a column for the Sydney Morning Herald that the debate surrounding transgender athletes participating in female competitions was being used by “the nastiest and most ruthless purveyors of hate-bait”.

“Yes, yes, yes, occasionally the issue of an unfair advantage by transgender athletes in sport does arise – usually only at elite level – and is one to be discussed and sorted out by serious people,” FitzSimons wrote.

Supplied image from Instagram of Sports Commentators Craig Foster and Lucy Zelic. Picture: Instagram

“But that ain’t this. The point is that we need to call out this kind of stuff for what it is. It is not a genuine attempt to achieve fairness in sport put out by people who have a genuine track record of earnestly examining that very thing.

“It’s just hate-bait, no more, no less, put out by people whose job in life is to stir up big trouble way above and beyond what the actual problem is.

It’s just hate-bait callously thrown out there to bring in swarms of bone-stupid groper fish who live off that very hate – to boost your ratings, clicks and votes – and to hell with the trauma it causes to their targets.

“For shame, you bastards.”

The issue is not going away.

Parents at a Catholic school in South Australia last month voiced “anger” and “disappointment” after a transgender student won a number of events competing against girls at a recent sports day.

The K-12 school, which news.com.au is not identifying, hosted its annual sports day earlier this year, where the 13-year-old student’s performance reportedly caused a stir among parents.

Elsewhere, a transgender high school track athlete in California recently obliterated her competition by winning a girls’ triple jump event by more than 2.3m.

Originally published as Transgender athlete furore explodes over ‘rage bait’ claim