The furore surrounding a Sydney women’s soccer team with five trans players has taken another turn after it was revealed that rival clubs have been told they will be punished for discrimination if they refuse to play in that team.
The Flying Bats team won the Beryl Ackroyd pre-season tournament in Sydney on March 24, winning every match they played and winning 4-0 in the grand final, with a trans player scoring six goals in a 10-0 win at the path. to the title.
Officials from rival clubs have contacted governing body Football NSW to express concerns about player safety, with some insisting the Flying Bats should compete in the mixed competition, which includes men.
Sydney-based football team Flying Bats (pictured) have been at the center of controversy since it emerged they won a competition with five trans players.
Frank Parisi, president of St Patrick’s Football Club, which plays the Flying Bats in the North West Sydney Football Association competition, revealed that 24 women had left the club as a “direct result” of them potentially ending up playing for the team. . .
“Everyone told me, ‘Frank, we don’t want to play against the Bats players,'” he said. Reduxx.
Parisi also stated that there are nine trans players in the women’s competition, not just the five who play for the Flying Bats.
It emerged that a meeting convened on March 20 by North West Sydney Football (NWSF) chief executive Matthew Geracitano heard that teams that lose matches against the controversial team would be punished for carrying out an “act of discrimination.” “.
That would mean St Patrick’s would be subject to disciplinary action if it was unable to field a team because several of its players withdrew.
Those attending a meeting of clubs belonging to the Bats competition were told that teams that lost matches against them would be punished for discrimination.
Geracitano told WhatsNew2Day Australia that the NWSF has joined Football NSW and Football Australia to allow players to “participate in football according to the gender they identify with” to follow the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines on the issue.
“At a recent meeting of member clubs, the NWSF communicated AHRC guidelines and provided information in response to club questions,” he said.
“In response to a direct question from a member club, the NWSF reminded interested parties that the NWSF Disciplinary and Grievance Regulations apply sanctions to teams that lose games in any competition, and that these regulations have been in place for many years”.
Parisi declined to comment further on the matter after being contacted by WhatsNew2Day Australia.
On the Flying Bats official website, they state that they are “the largest LGBTQIA+ women’s and non-binary football club in the world.”
Club president Jennifer Peden told WhatsNew2Day Australia: “As a club, Flying Bats FC strongly champions inclusivity and we pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, promoting a supportive community for players, officials and LGBTQIA+ supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits of participation in sport, especially for marginalized members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are a club that values ​​our cisgender and transgender players equally.
‘We strongly support the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.
‘These guidelines, together with the Sex Discrimination Act, inform the gender inclusion policies of Football Australia, Football NSW and the North West Sydney Football Association at the community and grassroots level at which we play.
Respected football commentator Lucy Zelic (pictured) weighed in on the issue last week, revealing she is against trans players in women’s sports.
‘Trans women belong in the female competition because that is the gender they identify with. Trans women have played in the club for at least 20 years, at levels ranging from beginner to expert, just like our cis players.
“Our players are evaluated based on their ability and placed on the most appropriate team for their ability and experience level.”
The Facebook group LGBTI Rights Australia posted a message congratulating the team shortly after winning the Beryl Ackroyd Cup and heavily criticized the team.
“Transgender women have been proudly part of the bats for 20 YEARS, but it took terf N@zi$ until this week to realize it,” the message read.
‘This underlines that the problem is not transgender athletes but the exploitation of sport for political gain.
‘Congratulations to Flying Bats Soccer Club who recently won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup! (And to all the transphobes who complain, we suggest you train a little harder.)’
This Facebook post from LGBTI Rights Australia congratulated the Flying Bats for winning the competition and said the real problem is not trans athletes, but people who exploit sports for political gain.
The controversy attracted the attention of Harry Potter author and prominent gender identity critic JK Rowling, who republished a story about the side to raise awareness of the issue among her 14 million Twitter followers.
Last week, respected soccer commentator Lucy Zelic weighed in and stated that she believes trans athletes should not play against female soccer players.
“If we look at this through the lens of sports, I do not agree with transgender participants in women’s sports,” she wrote.
‘Not because I’m transphobic, but because I firmly believe in protecting the integrity of sport.
‘Likewise, transgender people are human beings and deserve to be given grace, understanding and a place where they can be heard, but no one is interested in hearing both sides of this argument – just shouting and using radical language to demonize, cancel or destroy lives. .’