Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made no bones about his position on proposed legislation which would prohibit trans women from competing in female sport, calling it “a terrific bill” during a press conference in Tasmania yesterday.
The proposed bill, spearheaded by Liberal Senator Claire Chandler has been coined the “save women’s sports” bill, and would include changes to the Sex Discrimination Act to “clarify” that the operation of single-sex sport on the basis of biological sex is not discriminatory.
“I support it, as Claire knows. I think it’s a terrific bill and I’ve given her great encouragement,” Morrison told reporters emphatically yesterday.
“Claire is a champion for women’s sport and I think she’s been right to raise these issues in the way that she has.
“Well done, Claire.”
While the bill is unlikely to be debated in parliament during this term, LGBTQI+ advocates and support services have blasted it as another attempt to discriminate against vulnerable communities.
“The primary policy intent of the Bill is to acknowledge that categorisation by sex is a necessary and important mechanism to provide sporting participation and competitive opportunities for females.
“It seeks to ensure that women’s single-sex sport is protected and encouraged, and that a male person is not entitled to demand inclusion into women’s sport on the basis of gender identity”, an official explanation document reads.
Law professor at the University of Wollongong, Dr Julia Quilter said the bill was another attempt by the government at “divisive and discriminatory legislation against trans kids”, following the failure of its Religious Discrimination Bill a fortnight ago.
While Aboriginal trans advocate and Professor of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University, Sandy O’Sullivan slammed the proposed bill as “prejudice wrapped up as a fair go.”
The PM’s support for Senator Chandler’s bill comes after a number of his own MPs crossed the floor on the Religious Discrimination Bill, following concerns that transgender students wouldn’t be protected from discrimination at religious schools.