Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

World Rugby's proposed ban on transgender women sparks outcry
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2020-08-15

This article shared 5274 times since Sat Aug 15, 2020
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Citing recent research, a 38-page World Rugby transgender working group draft document is proposing a ban on transgender women from playing women's rugby.

An anonymous leaked the draft document to The Guardian. Windy City Times was unable to obtain the document for verification.

This proposal has sparked an outcry among rugby players world-wide, including the Chicago Dragons Rugby Football Club.

"The latest proposed guidelines from World Rugby, which were recently leaked to the media, would tighten playing restrictions for trans men, and ban trans women from playing rugby entirely," said Chicago Dragons Diversity and Inclusion Chair Matt Dela Cruz in a Facebook post. "The proposal attempts to implement an irrational standard based on incomplete research and will negatively affect all trans and non-binary players.

"These guidelines, geared [toward] elite rugby players, would negatively affect amateur rugby players, who make up most of the world's rugby participants. These guidelines actively turn away the trans and non-binary community from the sport of rugby, in part, because they will be forced to undergo invasive medical tests.

"The Chicago Dragons cannot accept these discriminatory practices from World Rugby. These practices go against the values of inclusion and respect both within our club and the sport of rugby itself. The culture of rugby is deeply rooted in a tradition of community and support, both on and off of the pitch.

"We always maintain that the only requirement to play rugby with the Chicago Dragons is: you want to play rugby with us. The Chicago Dragons stand with our trans family and the trans community. We are committed to an environment of inclusivity and respect for everyone. We will not tolerate hate, disrespect, and injustice within our community. Rugby is a sport for everyone, period, full stop. Everyone, regardless of history, gender status, or any other reason someone might be turned away out of ignorance or intolerance, has the right to call rugby 'Our Sport.' The Chicago Dragons have been a member of International Gay Rugby ( IGR ) since 2003, and are proud to stand with IGR in its opposition to these proposed guidelines."

"IGR and our 89 member clubs are founded on the principles of inclusion," said IGR Chairperson Karl Ainscough Gates. "Our main objective is to eliminate discrimination in the sport. IGR and World Rugby have been working together since 2012 in an effort to ensure the inclusive nature of the sport remains as one of its strongest characteristics. IGR is fully committed to ensuring the highest safety standards possible for all players.

"The proposed Transgender Guideline that World Rugby has sent for feedback could negate all of the positive strides the sport has previously. The safety conclusions of the guidelines modeling are based on an extremely limited body of non-rugby specific research and are only being applied to certain players because they are transgender. Cisgender women with the same percentage of safety risk to other athletes would be able to continue to play. Cisgender men playing with the same percentage of safety risk to their own bodies would continue to play with no additional barriers. This is direct and active discrimination against transgender athletes, individuals involved in rugby around the world are actively saying this is not acceptable and cannot stand."

In an emailed statement to this publication, a World Rugby spokesperson said, "World Rugby and its unions are united in their commitment to ensuring a safe and inclusive playing environment at all levels of the game. In line with this commitment, and in light of the latest peer-reviewed research, World Rugby has undertaken a wide-ranging review of its rugby-specific transgender guidelines in order to best reflect the modern playing landscape and scientific evidence.

"This comprehensive, transparent and inclusive review of the available research was driven by the ground-breaking transgender participation workshop in February attended by socio-ethics, science, medical, risk and legal experts. Throughout the process, World Rugby has sought to balance safety and inclusivity. The latest peer reviewed research confirms that a reduction of testosterone does not lead to a proportionate reduction in mass, muscle mass, strength or power.

"These important determinants of injury risk and performance remain significantly elevated after testosterone suppression. This presents a clear safety risk when transgender women play women's contact rugby and this position is reflected within draft guidelines that are currently out for stakeholder consultation prior to the World Rugby Council considering the matter later this year.

"Rugby is an inclusive and welcoming sport and World Rugby is fully committed to continuing to work with relevant groups to explore appropriate participation pathways for transgender athletes and is funding further research into the safe participation of all players in rugby. This is in addition to extensive non-contact participation such as tag rugby and touch rugby, avenues that are available to everyone at union level. We are not in a position to comment further on or share the draft guidelines as they are currently out for consultation."

The working group included Director Dr. Nicola Williams from the anti-trans United Kingdom based organization, Fair Play For Women, among others. Fair Play For Women has come out in opposition to the proposed Gender Recognition Act in the UK.

"World Rugby must be commended for their bravery and integrity by tackling the topic of transgender eligibility in women's rugby head on," said Williams. "They created the opportunity for open, transparent, and respectful dialogue on a politically sensitive topic combined with rigorous data analysis. World Rugby have set the gold standard for how all sports should now approach this; evidence-based policy making that delivers inclusion where possible but always safety first."

In an emailed statement to this publication, World Rugby said, "The World Rugby Council is set to consider the matter in November."

As of this publication date, a Change.org petition, "Keep Rugby Open to Trans Women Athletes," has garnered more than 16,000 signatures.


This article shared 5274 times since Sat Aug 15, 2020
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Nex Benedict's autopsy report released
2024-03-27
The full autopsy report for Nex Benedict (he/they)—a 16-year-old transgender and Indigenous student from Oklahoma's Owasso High School who died in February a day after a school fight—has been released. The Oklahoma Office of the Chie ...


Gay News

An interstate trans healthcare crisis: Illinois prepares for influx of people seeking gender-affirming care
2024-03-26
With hard-won rights, such as access to hormone replacement therapy or permission to use one's chosen pronouns in school, breaking down in states across the country, trans residents of all ages are left with a choice: ...


Gay News

Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community
2024-03-26
LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars stay undefeated
2024-03-24
Chicago Red Stars stay undefeated On March 23, the Chicago Red Stars took down the Seattle Reign FC 2-1 in the club's home opener at SeatGeek Stadium. With the win, the Red Stars are now 2-0-0 ...


Gay News

No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal
2024-03-22
In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...


Gay News

JP Karliak morphs into non-binary character for Disney+'s X-Men '97
2024-03-22
series X-Men '97, a revival of the popular X-men: The Animated Series that's both continuing the ongoing mutant storyline and breaking new ground along the way. The character of Morph now looks more like the comic ...


Gay News

ACTIVITIES Pickleball, fine eats and fun are all at SPF
2024-03-21
Despite the fact that it was invented in 1965, pickleball has only really entered the national consciousness within the last few years. However, there really hadn't been a large indoor dedicated space in Chicago for the ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist
2024-03-21
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

2024 OLYMPICS U.S. women's soccer team's opponents set
2024-03-20
The United States women's national soccer team will face Australia, Germany, and either Morocco or Zambia in Group B at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN reported. The tournament will mark the Americans' first competitive games with ...


Gay News

Alyssa Naeher wins National Women's Soccer League Impact Save of the Week
2024-03-20
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) — Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today. Seven minutes into the eight minutes of added ...


Gay News

Red Stars start season with 2-0 win
2024-03-17
On March 16, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their 2024 campaign with a 2-0 road win over Utah Royals FC in the Royals' inaugural match back in the National Women's Soccer League. Ally Schlegel and ...


Gay News

Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
2024-03-16
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...


Gay News

WORLD Leaked messages, Panama action, author dies at 32, Japan court, out athletes
2024-03-15
Hundreds of messages from an internal chat board for an international group of transgender health professionals were leaked in a report and framed as revealing serious health risks associated with gender-affirming care, including cancer, according to ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools
2024-03-15
In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies
2024-03-15
Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.