Sport Ireland has today produced a guidance report on how to help sports groups in Ireland include transgender and non-binary people in their respective sports through policies.
The report, called "The Guidance for Transgender and Non-Binary Inclusion in Sport" brochure, also includes practical considerations for the implementation and review of these policies.
They also include that the considerations mentioned will be updated regularly to reflect the ever-evolving nature of the environment in which the policies will operate.
During the first phase, which lasted for a total of 12 months, the project also examined the context in which the guidance would be implemented. This involved analyzing both national and international policies related to the subject matter.
More than 4,000 individuals from various backgrounds were consulted, including grassroots organizations, high-performance athletes, transgender and non-binary individuals along with their families, advocacy and representative groups, and members of the general public. This consultation process involved a combination of surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
Speaking about the publication of this guidance document, Dr. Úna May, CEO of Sport Ireland, said, “This is a very important guidance document that is designed to provide support and education to national governing bodies when developing policies for the inclusion of transgender and non-binary people in their specific sport.
Sport Ireland has issued advice for national governing bodies on developing policies for the participation of transgender and non-binary people in their specific sport. https://t.co/MPp0gosdD8
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) March 28, 2024
“We acknowledge that this is a complex issue, and by the very nature of sport, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be applied across the board. Equally, it is an area that is constantly evolving, and as such, we at Sport Ireland will evolve our support for the sector through a suite of resources that are regularly updated.
“Our ambition is always to make sport as inclusive as possible so that everyone, regardless of their background, can reap the many benefits that participation in sport brings. We would encourage all NGBs to put a policy in place if they don’t already have one.”
The new guidance comes days and weeks after transgender athletes in women's sports became a hot topic once again.
An Irish ladies dart champion, Katie Sheldon, was defeated by transgender competitor Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the Women’s Series final, prompting online controversy. The incident reignited the ongoing debate surrounding transgender participation in women's sports, with high-profile figures like Martina Navratilova weighing in on the matter.
Weeks before this, Irish pool champion Kim O'Brien, also known as 'Miss Cue', withdrew from the European Pool Championships due to her refusal to compete against transgender player Harriet Haynes. A viral video highlighting O'Brien's decision ignited a wider discussion on transgender participation in women's sports, culminating in O'Brien conceding victory to Haynes in the European Championship final.
The Guidance for Transgender and Non-Binary Inclusion in Sport brochure can be found using the following link: sport-ireland-guidance-for-transgender-and-non-binary-inclusion-in-sport_1.pdf
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