‘We’ll always be trans inclusive’: UK’s LGBTQ sports teams rally after court ruling
Scores of inclusive sports clubs across Britain issue statements in solidarity with trans and non-binary people, following legal decision; sports policies, already a battleground, set for further scrutiny but grassroots groups insist they will hold fast to their values; sports media industry urged to show leadership…
Trans people active in sport in the UK face further trepidation around their participation, but in an encouraging show of solidarity, inclusive clubs and groups nationwide are offering reassurances.
There has been a surge of statements and supportive social media posts in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling about the legal definitions of words relating to sex and gender in the Equality Act.
The potential implications for sport, such as at grassroots level, are understandably causing great concern across the community.
However, the strongly LGBTQ+-inclusive nature of the overwhelming majority of recreational activities in Britain is also shining through.
The award-winning Goal Diggers FC were quick to reaffirm “we will always be a trans inclusive club”, a clear statement of values that is being echoed by LGBTQ+-friendly sports teams and leagues up and down the country.
Another of the leading football clubs for women and non-binary people, Manchester Laces, happened to be featured on the FA-run England Football social media accounts earlier in the week.
“It’s amazing to see women, trans, non-binary people feeling safe, and that they can be their authentic self,” says Laces executive director Claire Farnbank-Harrop in the reel.
The FA has only recently updated its trans policy (the previous version was from 2014 and didn’t reference non-binary people), introducing information on a “match observation” assessment for recent applicants who have met the criteria to play.
Laces have a proud reputation for being welcoming. One of the team captains, Sophie Carroll, explains: “Inclusivity is at the heart of what we do… We’ve offered to go out to places, other teams, other clubs, and educate about women’s football, including non-binary and trans women within that.”
There is zero evidence of a change in this position anywhere within the nationwide network of WNB clubs like Goal Diggers and Manchester Laces. Even more widely in women’s football, you will struggle to find any teams or organisations openly advocating for the strictly binary, ‘biological’ approach that anti-trans campaigners crave.
Nevertheless, the ramifications of the UKSC ruling are likely to be felt, particularly if moves are made towards stricter regulation around changing facilities. There is also the threat of insurance claims or other legal challenges.
Defiance and weak definitions
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Football v Transphobia campaign lead Natalie Washington said: “There’s a lot of shock, concern and worry about what this means for protections, not just in sport.
“How can people go about their daily lives if the spaces they have been using for decades, if their access to them, is ambiguous now? We don’t know yet how this is going to operate.”
At the same time on Thursday, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Kishwer Falkner, was bullishly telling Radio 4’s Today programme that single-sex sports and changing rooms were now a “simple” proposition – but she did not describe how restrictions would be implemented in practice.
jane fae, the director of the campaign group TransActual, later accused the EHRC chair of “overreaching”.
With national football associations having continued to accommodate trans women under certain conditions while most other sports governing bodies opted for bans (often blanket ones), grassroots WNB clubs such as Hells Bells FC, Brockwell United (both London), Camp Hellcats (Glasgow) and Liverpool Trans and Enby FC struck a defiant tone.
Meanwhile, Manchester City’s Netherlands international right-back Kerstin Casparij showed why she’s a cult hero in the women’s football community.
How would biology be assessed anyway? “We reject the UK Supreme Court’s decision to define womanhood by chromosomes,” wrote the Bells on Instagram.
Washington touched on this in her 5 Live interview, raising the question of what the ruling means for women with variations in sex characteristics in the UK.
“Biological sex hasn’t been defined,” she said, and also highlighted the anomaly of how trans men deemed to be ‘too masculine’ to play in women’s leagues may now face exclusion from sporting competitions altogether.
At the end of 2024, BBC Sport reported that the policy in England included the line: “It is the FA’s firm view that gender identity should not be a barrier to participation in football which is governed by the FA.”
A summary document, dated 2014, containing this wording is still accessible online. But whether the governing body’s view remains as firm in the wake of the UKSC ruling is as yet unclear.
What is certain is that should the FAs of any or all the home nations relent under pressure, there would be passionate protests on a much larger scale than those staged in recent times by anti-trans groups.
The turnout could be huge. For example, the extra strength of feeling generated by this week’s news has quickly led to Goal Diggers FC meeting its initial fundraising target for a sponsored walk to Wembley on May 5, in support of gender-diverse players in football.
It can be hard to promote such activities more widely because pro-trans campaigners rarely have access to mainstream media, despite getting strong support from within grassroots sport.
Yet anti-trans demonstrations get comparatively greater coverage. As This Fan Girl worded it, on the weaponisation tactics being used: “Many of the loudest voices using sport to justify this exclusion will have NEVER actually supported women’s sports where it mattered… it’s a smokescreen.”
It will take time for the smoke caused by this latest firestorm to clear, but LGBTQ+-inclusive sport isn’t going away. If anything, the bonds that keep the community and its allies active and engaged appear stronger than ever.
Further reading…
Thousands signing statement of support for ongoing inclusion of trans women in women’s football
QueerAF newsletter: Supreme Court ruling changes the landscape for Trans+ rights in the UK
Sports Media LGBT+ statement
Sports Media LGBT+ shares in our community’s disappointment caused by the UK Supreme Court ruling about the legal definitions of words in the Equality Act.
As a network group and as a digital publisher, Sports Media LGBT+ has always been fully and proudly inclusive. We strive to provide welcoming, respectful spaces for all members, working alongside our many industry allies.
Though the ramifications of the ruling are still unclear, it is understandable that trans and non-binary people, and particularly trans women, are deeply concerned at this time.
We will continue to reaffirm our solidarity with trans people. We are commited to supporting responsible LGBT+ reporting in sports media and in wider sports.
In our most recent survey, 81% of all respondents said they believe our industry is underperforming on trans inclusion. Sadly, on this topic, the wider climate has only deteriorated since the survey ran in 2022.
We therefore urge employers and organisations across the sports and media sectors to offer reassurance and guidance to their staff, fans, clients and customers who are trans, and remind colleagues of the need to challenge discrimination if and when it occurs.
It is encouraging to see the supportive statements issued by many clubs, groups and organisations. Ahead of Lesbian Visibility Week, IDAHOBIT and Pride Month, we hope the sports media will recognise the importance of showing clear allyship all year round.
Trans rights are human rights. Always.
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