Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed a push to exclude transgender girls and women from competing in female sports.
The proposal, introduced to federal parliament earlier this month by Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler, would amend the Sex Discrimination Act so it would not be unlawful to ban someone from a female sporting team based on their biological sex.
On the hustings in Tasmania, Mr Morrison revealed he had encouraged Senator Chandler to pursue the Bill.
“I support it, as Claire knows. I think it’s a terrific Bill and I’ve given her 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. Well done, Claire.”
Taking to Facebook after the media conference, Senator Chander thanked Mr Morrison for backing th Bill.
“(Scott Morrison is) one of the first world leaders prepared to unequivocally support the rights of women and girls to single-sex sport,” Senator Chandler said.
Equality Australia chief executive Anna Brown slammed Mr Morrison for using transgender people as a political football.
“Senator Chandler’s Bill is not just unnecessary, it’s cruel and divisive. In offering his public support for this Bill, the Prime Minister is once again making the lives of trans and gender diverse kids the subject of political and media debate,” Ms Brown said in a statement.
“This is completely unacceptable, particularly when this group of people already experience disproportionate levels of discrimination, marginalisation and social isolation.”
Ms Brown said the Sex Discrimination Bill already allowed for discrimination in sport on the basis of sex, gender identity or intersex status by excluding people from competition in sport where strength, stamina and physique is relevant.
“Instead of considering how these exemptions could be narrowed, the Chandler Bill would go further and for the first time allow discrimination against children under the age of 12 years,” she said.
According to the platform’s ad library, Senator Chandler has spent up to $25,588 of taxpayer funds on social media advertisements since her election in 2019 – all but four have been about her desire to “save women’s sport”.
While it’s unlikely the Bill will make its way to the lower house before the election, Mr Morrison’s backing follows a torrid debate on religious discrimination and the protection of transgender students.xjmtzyw
The Prime Minister had hoped to overhaul anti-discrimination legislation to offer protections for people of religious faith in the first sitting week of parliament.
But his plan was thwarted at the 11th hour by Liberal backbenchers unhappy with his decision to renege on a promise to protect gender diverse children in church schools.
It’s not the first time Mr Morrison’s rhetoric on transgender people has raised eyebrows.
He was widely criticised for declaring schools did not need “gender whisperers” following a 2018 report that NSW teachers could undergo training to identify children who might be questioning their gender.
“We do not need ‘gender whisperers’ in our schools. Let kids be kids,” he said at the time.
