Two former Olympians have voiced their concerns over female sporting categories amid proposals to reform Scotland’s gender recognition process. They also were disappointed that Scottish polticians did not seek evidence from female athletes during their oral evidence session on sport last month.
Former competitive swimmer Sharron Davies and former marathon runner Mara Yamauchi visited Edinburgh on June 16 to attend a For Women Scotland conference to call on members of the Scottish Parliament to ensure “the integrity of female sporting categories.”
Committee Excludes Evidence From Female Athletes
“My question for Scottish parliamentarians is this,” said Davies according to The Telegraph.“There will be talented, hardworking Scottish girls out there right now, who could become the sports stars of the future and win medals for Scotland. Are you happy for them to quit sport altogether because they have no chance of winning against male bodied people?” she added.
“If we enable males to be in female sports, you are excluding females from their own category of sport,” she said.
They also expressed disappointment at not being invited as female athletes to give evidence at Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights, and Civil Justice Committee (EHRCJ), which is currently scrutinising the legislation.
For Women Scotland is a Scottish campaign group that opposes the proposed reforms allowing individuals to change their recorded sex.
‘A Lot of Damage Has Already Been Done’
Davies told the For Women Scotland conference of her experience while competing in the Olympics, where she faced competitors from East Germany.“For me, this is a passion that comes from competing for a decade against East Germans,” she said. “Young East German girls were put through male puberty, which is a horrendous thing.”
“At the Olympics, I won my silver medal being one of only two people outside the Eastern Bloc that won medals. They took 90 percent of the women’s medals, and only 5 percent of the men’s,” she added.
Yamauchi said that “we can all see with our own eyes what gender ideology has done to women’s sport, and I hope that political leaders will put a stop to it now, because a lot of damage has already been done.”
Susan Smith, Co-director of For Women Scotland, told The Epoch Times that Sturgeon’s SNP-led government “seem to want to put ideology ahead of evidence and women’s rights” and is only letting in people who “are in favour of” the GRR Bill.
Davies said she “absolutely” would appear in front of the committee if she was asked to, Yamauchi revealed that she had written to the committee following the evidence session on sport.
‘Committee Does Not Intend to Explore This Issue Further’
The Committee and the Scottish government did not respond to questions from The Epoch Times but instead referred to FitzPatrick’s response to Davies (pdf).“The points raised in your email relate to the much broader issue of trans inclusion in sport, how the restrictions under the Equality Act 2010 are applied and whether trans women athletes retain a biological advantage,” said FitzPatrick.
“I acknowledge the complexity of this important issue and that balancing rights for elite athletes and trans communities is one which may require further scrutiny. However, this matter is one that goes far beyond the Committee’s scrutiny of the specific provisions of the GRR Bill,” he added.
“I know you will be disappointed that the Committee does not intend to explore this issue further as part of its Stage 1 scrutiny of the GRR Bill. However, your concerns are noted and trans inclusion in sport in a broader sense may be a topic that the Committee may wish to consider further in a future inquiry,” he wrote.
