Inclusive of T exclusive of W
Trans woman approved to play women’s Gaelic football
Man approved to play women’s Gaelic football.
Na Gaeil Aeracha, the first explicitly LGBTQ+ inclusive GAA club, said it welcomed the decision to approve the application from Giulia Valentino, an Italian trans woman who has played on the team since 2021.
Na Gaeil Aeracha welcomes the decision to allow a man to endanger and have an unfair advantage over the women on opposing teams.
The LGFA published a policy in February which stated that trans women would be eligible to play at all levels subject to certain conditions. These included that they have not been deemed to be an “unacceptable risk”, which it said would “likely only arise in the most exceptional circumstances”.
That’s ridiculous. The unacceptable risk would arise every single time they played or praticed.
In a statement, Na Gaeil Aeracha said it was “delighted that Giulia’s application has been accepted”.
“We want to make sure there is a space on the pitch for everyone regardless of their identity,” the team said.
Then why have women’s Gaelic football at all? If “identity” (i.e. being a woman or not being a woman) is irrelevant then what remains of women’s Gaelic football?
Last year the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) banned trans women from participating in contact rugby. It cited peer-reviewed research that it said showed there were physical differences between people whose sex was assigned as male and those assigned as female at birth.
Gee, really? Who knew? I hope parents find plenty of peer-reviewed research before they tell their sons not to bully their daughters.
Is there space on the pitch for anyone regardless of ability?
I’m glad that my granddaughter plays rugby, then. At least the IRFU has the balls to keep men out of the women’s game.
I wonder if the cheating team will suddenly find all their matches are no-shows by the opposing teams?
Is it possible they were “assigned” male or female at birth because of those physical differences? Naw, it can’t be. Must be transphobia.
Ideally, this is what would happen. Unfortunately, women being told to stop competing against cheating men have been forced to deal with the consequences of the failings and failures of the governing bodies regulating their sports. Not showing up to compete hurts the women using this as a means of resistance and protest. Not playing or participating means no standings, no placement, no awards, no income, no scholarships, etc. In these instances it’s a no win situation: play against the cheat and lose, boycott and lose, or even face penalization. Placing this burden on the shoulders of women and girls who are cheated and endangered even before they step onto the field is grotesquely unfair. Any cheating man who celebrates their “victories” within any such broken sporting regime is a failed human being who should be shunned and ostracized, not celebrated and awarded. Their “inclusion” robs their “winning” of any meaning and legitimacy. They are pathetic losers whose records, medals, and championships are irredemably tainted with the stench of personal dishonor and enabling institutional corruption. Who would want to keep that kind of trophy on a shelf?
The only example I can recall of a female team refusing to play against a team with a male trans player resulted in the female team being barred from future tournaments.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/school-refused-play-team-trans-player-barred-tournaments-rcna74882
So how does someone get on the governing body of a sporting league?
Might there be some way to keep anyone who ever voted to kill women’s sport in this way from ever being on such a governing body in the future?