05/01/25 05:34:00
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05/01 05:32 CDT Transgender women soccer players to be banned from English
women's teams
Transgender women soccer players to be banned from English women's teams
LONDON (AP) --- Transgender women will be banned from playing on women's soccer
teams in England following a U.K. Supreme Court ruling last month, the sport's
governing body said Thursday.
The Football Association said it had decided to change its rules that had
allowed transgender athletes to play on women's soccer if they had reduced
testosterone levels. The Scottish Football Association made a similar decision
last week.
The U.K's highest court issued a ruling two weeks ago that defined a woman for
anti-discrimination purposes as someone born biologically female. The head of
the Equality and Human Rights Commission said after the ruling that transgender
women would be excluded from women's toilets, hospital wards and sports teams.
While the ruling was cheered by some feminist groups, it has been condemned by
trans-rights groups who said it would have a broad and detrimental impact on
daily life.
The FA said its policy had been to make the sport accessible to as many people
as possible but that it would make alterations if there were changes in law,
science or the operations of "grassroots football."
"We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play
the game they love in the gender by which they identify, and we are contacting
the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and
how they can continue to stay involved in the game," the FA said in a statement.
It was not clear how many players would be affected by the policy that would
take effect June 1.
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