Parents livid after girls’ soccer teams get annihilated by squad with five trans players (2024)

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Denette Wilford

Published Mar 28, 2024Last updated Mar 28, 20242 minute read

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Parents livid after girls’ soccer teams get annihilated by squad with five trans players (1)

An Australian soccer club sparked outrage from parents and people on social media after five transgender players dominated a women’s tournament.

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Parents livid after girls’ soccer teams get annihilated by squad with five trans players (2)

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Flying Bats FC took home the Beryl Ackroyd Cup final over the Macquarie Dragons 4-0 in preseason play, and were rewarded $1,000 for their efforts, news.au.com reported.

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The club went undefeated over the four-week tourney, even notching a 10-0 victory against one team.

But while they celebrated, others – particularly those on or associated with the other clubs – were fuming.

“Our girls are here to play for fun and expect to play in the female competition,” one senior club official told Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

“They did not sign up for a mixed competition,” they continued. “Some of the parents were so concerned they would not let their daughters play.”

Parents livid after girls’ soccer teams get annihilated by squad with five trans players (3)

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The official said there is “no transparency” from the league, so “the girls don’t know if they are going to be playing biological males or not.”

The official added: “It was so disheartening for them to see the huge difference in ability – they’re killing it.”

Kirralie Smith, spokesperson for Binary Australia, an advocacy group that maintains there are only two genders – male and female – and that it’s a “biological fact that sex is binary,” told the publication that the North West Sydney League was putting players at risk.

On social media, people were raging.

“Are you getting angry yet?” Sky Australia contributor Katherine Deves Morgan wrote on X.

“Five blokes on the winning women’s soccer team,” she continued. “Girls were threatened with fines if they forfeited. What a joke.”

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Tennis legend Martina Navratilova replied, “Been angry for years now – the unfairness is off the charts.”

She added: “I will say it again – keep women’s sports female. It is not the place for any (failed) male athletes.”

Been angry for years now- the unfairness is off the charts. I will say it again- keep women’s sports female. It is not the place for any (failed) male athletes https://t.co/Ofa6WzdmhN

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) March 26, 2024

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Flying Bats FC president Jen Peden, however, defended her team.

“Trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify,” Peden said, according to news.au.com.

“As a club, the Flying Bats FC stand strongly for inclusion, and pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, the promotion of a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ players, officials and supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits that participation in sport brings, especially to marginalized members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

She added: “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.”

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Peden also pointed out that trans women have played with the club for more than two decades, at all levels, insisting their players are “graded on ability” and “placed in the team that is most appropriate for their skill and experience level.”

A Football NSW spokesperson confirmed it was operating within the boundaries of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines “for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.”

It states that “community players are permitted to participate in Football on the basis of the gender with which they identify.”

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