- The ban could keep her out of the sport for the entire season.
A teenage girl with suspected autism has denied being transphobic as she faces a possible ban from attending football matches after asking a trans opponent if he was a man.
The unnamed 17-year-old was charged last month by her county’s Football Association over comments she made to a transgender player while playing in a friendly soccer match in July.
The charges are for breach of the FA Code of Conduct, inappropriate conduct and inappropriate conduct aggravated by gender reassignment.
She faces a suspension of six to 12 games if found guilty during a hearing expected to take place later this month, which could keep her out of the sport for an entire season.
The teenager was accused of saying comments to her opponent such as ‘are you a man?’, ‘that’s a man’ and ‘don’t come back here.’
FILE PHOTO: A teenage girl with suspected autism has denied being transphobic as she faces a possible ban from football matches after asking a trans opponent if he was a man.
FILE PHOTO: The unnamed 17-year-old was charged last month by her county’s Football Association over comments she made to a transgender player while playing in a friendly soccer match in July.
His opponent was born a man.
According The Telegraph, The girl admitted to asking a player who had a beard if he was a man.
He also reportedly asked the referee about the trans player’s ability to play in women’s football, given his concerns for her “safety after suffering a series of overly physical challenges.”
The teenager was charged after a complaint was made about her through Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination watchdog based in England.
The complaint included a statement from the trans player and the captain of the opposing team, who accused her of transphobia.
The distraught girl, however, denied being transphobic.
He is currently being tested for autism and it is common for autistic people to have difficulty expressing their feelings regarding gender.
“The moment the player clarified that he was transgender (something I had not previously considered), I fully respected his response, left the situation and immediately refocused on the game before seeking guidance from the referee. At no point was my question intended to “Be hurtful or malicious, as I was only trying to seek clarity in an unknown situation. Knowing now that the player was transgender, I understand that there were better ways to address this issue,” the teen said in a written statement.
The teenager’s mother called the charges against the young soccer player “hugely unfair.”
He added that he had “expressed concern about the risk of serious injury when a 17-year-old girl was playing against a biological man who was much bigger than me and a very physical player, which was possibly a safety issue as I did.” “. “I don’t want to get dangerously injured just before the start of a new season.”
The teenager’s mother has described the charges against the young footballer as “hugely unfair”.
“I’m just furious.”
MailOnline has contacted the FA for comment.
The incident raises significant questions about the FA’s decision to allow players who were born biologically male to take part in football matches.
The FA’s current transgender policy is based on a testosterone suppression model and uses maximum discretion as to whether a transgender woman can register or not, allowing them to manage this on a case-by-case basis.
Blood testosterone levels should be within a specific range and hormone treatment should be checked annually.
There are currently no transgender women playing in professional football or on their way to professional football in any of the home nations.