Lord Triesman has accused the FA of endangering biological women by allowing transgender athletes to play football.
And he’s referred to the case of a 17-year-old girl with suspected autism who is facing a ban of up to 12 matches for asking an adult transgender opponent: “Are you a man?”
Triesman has written a critical letter to Debbie Hewitt and Mark Bullingham, who currently serve as the FA’s chair and chief executive respectively.
He says he is ‘deeply concerned’ that the governing body, which he was the independent chairman of between 2008 and 2010, is ‘not providing women and girls with fair, safe sport’.
The FA are currently reviewing their policy on transgender footballers
PA
The FA currently allow biological males to compete in the female category.
It has been under pressure to alter its stance since last December, when more than 70 MPS and members of the House of Lords demanded action to protect women from the injury risks of playing against biological males.
Triesman’s letter, per the Telegraph, said: “I am deeply concerned that the FA is not providing all women and girls with fair, safe football because of its policy allowing male players – those with XY chromosomes, but a transgender identity – to play in the women’s game.
“This has led to significant problems of concern to people in football and, I estimate, a majority of parliamentarians.
“There is compelling evidence showing how even an individual trans-identifying male player can adversely impact a significant number of female players.
“It is especially problematic to see that even raising questions about this can lead to disciplinary action. This means that women and girls cannot expect fairness and cannot even raise a question if they see a male player who may or may not claim a transgender identity.
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“Many other sports including athletics, swimming and cycling have, with some difficulty, amended their eligibility rules to protect the female category and its sporting integrity.
“This leaves football as by far the biggest sport not to have done so.
“As a contact sport, I would suggest the risks are self-evident.”
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Lord Triesman has accused the FA of endangering biological women by allowing transgender athletes to play football
PA
Lord Triesman is seeking a private member’s bill that would, barring a few exceptions, make it unlawful to organise sporting events that force athletes with male chromosomes to face biologically female opponents.
He continued: “I believe there is a good chance of this becoming law.
“I envisage most of the sanctions being civil but there are strong pressures to include criminal sanctions for organisers of what would be unlawful competition.”
Lord Triesman is seeking a private member’s bill that would, barring a few exceptions, make it unlawful to organise sporting events that force athletes with male chromosomes to face biologically female opponents
PA
Lord Triesman also wants to hear what progress is being made and what the FA proposes they can do ensure ‘fairness and safety’ for female players.
The FA are happy to discuss its policy with the 81-year-old.
They confirmed they were conducting a review earlier in the year, saying: “Our current transgender policy has been in place for 10 years, and it has helped to enable a very small population of transgender women to enjoy playing football safely in the grass-roots game. This is a complex and constantly evolving area, and our review remains ongoing as we monitor and support the practical application of our policy.”