Hannah Mouncey slams Save Women’s Sport Bill

Transgender athlete Hannah Mouncey has lashed a Bill that would allow sports to ban trans women from competing, saying the move will “kill people”.

Transgender athlete Hannah Mouncey was banned from nominating for the AFLW draft in 2017. Picture: Jason Edwards

Transgender athlete Hannah Mouncey has slammed a Senate Bill that would allow sporting organisations to exclude trans women from competing in female competitions.

Ms Mouncey, who was banned from nominating for the AFLW draft in 2017, said transgender women had no inherent physical advantages over other women and discrimination against trans athletes would “kill people”.

The “Save Women’s Sport” Bill introduced by Tasmanian Liberal Senator Claire Chandler was based on “nothing more than fear and ignorance”, the former national men’s handball representative said.

“Transgender women do not have an inherent advantage when it comes to sport,” Ms Mouncey said in a statement posted to Twitter.

“(The Bill) shows a horrible understanding of what being trans involves, and insults athletes the world over with the idea that natural size, speed, strength or endurance is everything, and that hard work counts for nothing.

“There has never been an athlete who was an average club level competitor who has shot to the top of elite sport post-transition.”

Ms Mouncey pointed to NCAA swimming champion Lia Thomas and New Zealand Olympic weightlifter Laurel Hubbard – who placed last in her division at the Tokyo games – as the only examples of transgender women who had competed at an elite level.

“It’s hardly a wave of domination,” Ms Mouncey said.

Ms Mouncey’s comments come after Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday backed the private member’s Bill while campaigning in Tasmania with Senator Chandler.

“I support it, I think it is a terrific bill and I’ve given Claire great encouragement,” Mr Morrison said.

“Claire is a champion for women’s sport and I think she’s been right to raise these issues in the way that she has.”

The targeting of the transgender community was comparable to rhetoric towards gay men in the 1980s, Ms Mouncey said.

“We are still now seeing murderers brought to justice for the hate crimes perpetrated against gay men in the ’80s, and it is not a stretch to imagine we will see the same crimes committed against trans people today,” she said.

“We have a government hellbent on weaponising transphobia for electoral gain, regardless of the consequences.”

Senator Chandler defended her Bill to the Herald Sun, saying it would not “seek to ban anyone from playing sport”.

“My Save Women’s Sport Bill will simply make clear that single-sex sport for women is lawful, encouraged and supported by the Parliament of Australia,” Ms Chandler said.

“It will allow sporting codes to embrace single-sex sport for women without the threat of legal action under the Sex Discrimination Act, while continuing to allow codes to offer a range of categories and competitions to maximise participation and inclusion.”

The Bill is unlikely to be voted on in the lower house before the election, with only two days remaining on the parliamentary sitting calendar.