Latest news with #femaleSports
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Justice Dept sues California over transgender athletes
The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California on Wednesday for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. Female student athletes in California are being subjected to "unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams," the department said. The lawsuit accuses California of violating Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. The Justice Department suit is the latest salvo in a showdown between the administration of Republican President Donald Trump and the Democratic-ruled state. Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles last month to quell protests against roundups of undocumented migrants by federal agents. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the troops were not necessary to address the mostly peaceful protests, but his legal efforts to have them removed have failed so far. Trump threatened last month to impose "large scale" fines against California after a transgender high school athlete's victory at the state track and field championships. The Justice Department suit accuses the California Department of Education and California Interscholastic Federation of engaging in "illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them." "The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is 'deeply unfair' to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports," Attorney General Pam Bondi said. "But not only is it 'deeply unfair,' it is also illegal under federal law." The Justice Department sued Maine in April for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports, and the Trump administration has moved to cut the northeastern state's federal funding for public schools. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this month to hear cases next term challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female competitions. cl/jgc
National Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
‘ENSURE FAIRNESS': Olympics chief announces ‘scientific approach' to ‘protect female category'
The new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) addressed the subject of transgender athletes competing in women's sports, and revealed there is 'overwhelming support' by IOC members to 'protect the female category.' Article content Kirsty Coventry, who was in Lausanne, Switzerland, chairing her first meetings this week since becoming chief, said that a taskforce of scientists and international federations would be created in the coming weeks to come up with a new policy. Article content Article content Article content 'We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport,' she said, according to Fox News. Article content 'But it was fully agreed that as members that, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category.' Article content Coventry continued: 'It was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost. We have to do that to ensure fairness. And we have to do it with a scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international federations who have done a lot of work in that area.' Article content The new policy is expected to ban trans athletes from competing in the female category. Article content Article content But Coventry, who won seven Olympic medal when she competed for Zimbabwe, noted that the shift in policy would not affect previous Olympics results. Article content 'We are not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We are going to be looking forward,' Coventry said. Article content The update comes after the controversial boxing tournament at the 2024 Paris Games after two athletes — Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting — won gold medals despite having been disqualified from the previous year's World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria. Article content Article content World Boxing, which is now recognized by the IOC as the sport's international federation, has since introduced mandatory sex testing and said Khelif would not be able to compete in the female category until she undergoes the test. Article content Khelif has always maintained she was born a woman, competes as a woman, and is a woman. Article content 'It was very clear from the membership the discussion around this has to be done with medical and scientific research at the core, so we are looking at the facts and the nuances and the inclusion of the international federations that have done so much of this work,' Coventry said. Article content
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Transgender athlete furore explodes over ‘rage bait' claim
Lucy Zelic has gone public with a resolute response to recent comments made by Peter FitzSimons. The author on Saturday made startling claims in accusing media organisations of producing 'rage bait' content surrounding the participation of transgender athletes in sport. Former SBS TV icon Zelic has taken exception to the columnist's claims, sharing a direct response to the media commentator on social media. 'Hi @Peter_Fitz - I read your column. For what it's worth, I am not interested in trading insults,' Zelic posted on X on Monday. 'I am just curious as to why your compassion never extends to the women and girls who are genuinely affected by these issues, which exceed the parameters of sport? 'You've painted a very one-sided picture that attracts vitriol from BOTH sides of the aisle. That you are impervious to the death threats and vile insults being hurled at women daily over their belief that the female sports category is worthy of protection, beggars belief.' The 38-year-old went on to highlight issues surrounding the presence of transgender athletes inside female dressing rooms - something that has been a fiercely debated topic in the United States. She said the mums of junior female athletes are 'qualified' to share their feelings surrounding the safety, fairness and integrity of the competition their daughters compete in. 'But, according to you, we're all just a bunch of 'bastards' laughing maniacally over a glass of pinot and whipping up hatred for clicks and votes,' Zelic posted. 'Is this what you've reduced women to? Rage mongers, who just need to shut the hell-up or risk the ire of our friends over at Media Watch, who won't account for those who wish to remain anonymous, or for the bureaucrats who must protect their reputations at all costs? 'There's nothing to gain for those who choose to speak out, except venom, cancellation, and the loss of their livelihood.' She went on to post: 'It's easy to adopt an issue based on compassionate grounds when you're sitting in the comfort of your mansion, but it's far harder to cross paths with a rape survivor, who loved playing in her local women's hockey team, until the presence of a male in her changing room triggered her. 'Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I defended your right to have one when it came to Australian football but choosing to flippantly glaze over girls losing spots on teams and women being forced into silence? This one's indefensible mate. 'Godspeed to you though. My door is always open to chat more.' You can read Zelic's full comments on X here. The football TV presenter-turned women's rights advocate on Monday evening also responded to one social media user calling her a 'sicko transphobe'. Zelic responded: 'I am not a transphobe, Leanne. I don't wish any harm, have any ill-feelings, or specified hatred towards trans-identified individuals. 'I just don't believe that males should be able to compete in women's sport, or access female-only spaces for the reasons I have already listed. 'This may surprise you, but both things can be true at once. 'I also don't believe it's ethical or humane for sporting organisations to demand that trans-identified males suppress their testosterone levels just so they can compete in the female categories.' FitzSimons on Saturday wrote in a column for the Sydney Morning Herald that the debate surrounding transgender athletes participating in female competitions was being used by 'the nastiest and most ruthless purveyors of hate-bait'. 'Yes, yes, yes, occasionally the issue of an unfair advantage by transgender athletes in sport does arise – usually only at elite level – and is one to be discussed and sorted out by serious people,' FitzSimons wrote. 'But that ain't this. The point is that we need to call out this kind of stuff for what it is. It is not a genuine attempt to achieve fairness in sport put out by people who have a genuine track record of earnestly examining that very thing. 'It's just hate-bait, no more, no less, put out by people whose job in life is to stir up big trouble way above and beyond what the actual problem is. It's just hate-bait callously thrown out there to bring in swarms of bone-stupid groper fish who live off that very hate – to boost your ratings, clicks and votes – and to hell with the trauma it causes to their targets. 'For shame, you bastards.' The issue is not going away. Parents at a Catholic school in South Australia last month voiced 'anger' and 'disappointment' after a transgender student won a number of events competing against girls at a recent sports day. The K-12 school, which is not identifying, hosted its annual sports day earlier this year, where the 13-year-old student's performance reportedly caused a stir among parents. Elsewhere, a transgender high school track athlete in California recently obliterated her competition by winning a girls' triple jump event
CBC
07-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Birth records will be key in Alberta's new ban on female trans athletes, regulations show
Alberta has revealed how its new ban, prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in amateur female sports divisions, will be enforced. The supporting regulations for the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, released this week, signal a major shift in how gender in sport will be governed in Alberta when the legislation comes into force this September. The regulations detail how an athlete's gender will be proven, documented and potentially challenged. It also establishes a formal complaints process that would allow Albertans to question who has the right to compete as a female. Under the new policy, schools, universities and sports clubs will be required to bar transgender women and girls from competition, and — in the event of a complaint — investigate an athlete's sex by examining their birth records. The regulations will also require schools and sporting organizations to report any eligibility complaints — and the results of each challenge — to the government. From baseball and boxing to ringette and gymnastics, the act deems transgender women ineligible to compete in nearly 90 sports organizations in Alberta. The act — which applies to athletes 12 years and older — also supports the expansion and creation of "mixed gender" divisions, where numbers warrant. Alberta's United Conservative Party government says the changes will protect the integrity of female athletic competitions by ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to compete in "biological female-only divisions." The rules "will level the playing field," and prevent athletes who were born female from harm, Andrew Boitchenko, Minister of Tourism and Sport, said in a statement. Critics have described the pending ban as a discriminatory attack on transgender competitors. A question of quitting Mark Kosak, CEO of Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, said the legislation will end up pushing athletes out of Alberta. The ACAC is one of the close to 90 organizations impacted by the changes. "I think they'll leave, they'll go to another conference or another province, they'll go somewhere where this restriction doesn't apply and they don't have this concern and that's unfortunate," he said. "What I can almost predict is that a transgender athlete will feel somewhat threatened to stay in Alberta." The province has suggested leagues create co-ed divisions, but Kosak said that would be too costly and require more facilities, coaches and officials. Alberta sports organizations will need to create and implement eligibility policies by Sept. 1. Leagues and educational institutions will be required to track each athlete's gender at birth. Linda Blade, a coach and former president of Athletics Alberta, has been a vocal supporter of the new ban. She said the legislation will provide much-needed clarity to sport administrators across the province. She hopes other jurisdictions will follow suit and adopt regulations that keep female-born athletes in a league of their own. She said the policy is not meant as an attack on trans people, but is designed to protect women and girls and their right to compete. "It's not anti trans, it's not anti-anything. It's pro-women." Gender challenges At the time of registration, an athlete or their guardian will be required to confirm in writing that the athlete qualifies under the law to play in a female league, according to the regulations. If that claim is not believed, a formal challenge can be made in writing to the board for the sports division. The athlete, or their guardian, will then be asked to provide the board with a birth registration document detailing their assigned sex at birth. A birth registration document includes the person's sex at birth. Unlike a birth certificate, the sex listed on a birth registration document cannot be changed. Under the rules, boards of those nearly impacted organizations are required to report any challenges regarding eligibility to the Minister of Tourism and Sport within three business days. Boards must also report the results of the challenge within 30 days. It is expected that challenges will be resolved within a 30 business-day period, the province said. Athletes can continue to compete while an investigation is ongoing. If their birth records show they are not eligible, they will be immediately prohibited from competition. The province says boards will be empowered to impose "reasonable sanctions" against anyone who launches a challenge in "bad faith." Such sanctions may include written warnings or code of conduct violations, according to the province. Debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports has been a highly charged issue in recent years. Florence Ashley, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta, said the regulations are purposefully vague. Ashley said the lack of details on how challenges will be managed opens the door for changes to be made quietly and "on the fly." The new rules demonstrate a dangerous shortsightedness, Ashley said. Ashley said the government has relied on the "politics of fear" to engineer a "moral panic" over fairness in sport and a false premise that trans women have a competitive advantage. Transgender women will be "harmed immensely" by the policy, along with female athletes who are not trans, Ashley said. Instead of fairness in athletics, the ban will foster discrimination, harassment, fear and false challenges, Ashley said. "Even if that's not the intent, that will be the effect." Allison Hadley, a trans woman who competes as an amateur athlete, said the ban will be harmful to people in a broad range of demographics, including children and youth. Hadley, born and raised in Edmonton, played rugby for nine years before competing in cross-country skiing. She stopped competing last year due to the pending ban. She fears she will never return to the sport. "There's a lot of extra steps for trans people in everyday life as-is, so this is just another one that's designed to get us to quit," she said.
Reuters
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
NFL Network to air all-female 'Good Morning Football' for two days
June 2 - It will be an all-female cast running "Good Morning Football" -- the NFL Network's Emmy-winning show -- this Thursday and Friday. Jamie Erdahl, who regularly hosts the weekday program, will be joined on Thursday by Cynthia Frelund, an NFL Network analytics expert; Jane Slater, a reporter for the network; and Kelsey Conway, a Cincinnati Bengals beat reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer and USA Today. Erdahl will be joined again on Friday by Slater as well as Madelyn Burke, a New York Giants team reporter and CBS Sports HQ host, and Tamara Brown, an NFL and college football reporter who formerly served as a sideline reporter for the New England Patriots. Others appearing include Andrea Kremer, a sports journalist and winner of multiple Emmy Awards; Tracy Wolfson, the lead reporter for The NFL on CBS; Dawn Mitchell, a television sports anchor and reporter in Minneapolis; and singer Melissa Etheridge, a Grammy and Academy Award winner. "Good Morning Football resonates with fans, as evidenced by our Emmy nomination this year, because of our unique and fun way we cover the NFL," Erdahl said. "These episodes of GMFB will bring that same personality and energy, just with leading female voices who love the game." The show airs weekdays from 8-10 a.m. ET on NFL Network and also streams on NFL+. --Field Level Media
