- Many sports have revised their policies regarding transgender women’s participation
- Sports such as rugby and athletics have banned them from women’s events
- Fishing is now the latest sport to ban transgender women from participating
Fishing has become the latest sport to ban transgender women from competing in the England women’s team, following a significant outcry from several members of the squad.
The issue of transgender women participating in female sporting events has become increasingly controversial in recent years.
Sports such as rugby, athletics, swimming and cycling have banned them from participating in women’s events or competitions if they transition after male puberty.
And now the Angling Trust, the governing body for recreational fishing in England, has announced that transgender female anglers will no longer be able to compete for the England women’s team.
Instead, they have to compete in the open category at domestic and international events.
Fishing has become the latest sport to ban transgender women from competing in the England women’s team, following a significant outcry from several members of the squad over the inclusion of Becky Lee Birtwhistle Hodges, who was born male.
England Ladies Shore Angling Team is depicted together with Birtwhislte Hodges (3rd from right) on October 20, 2018
It comes after half of the team selected for the Home Nations inshore fishing championship earlier this year withdrew in protest at the selection of Becky Lee Birtwhistle Hodges, who was born male.
Birtwhistle Hodges is a former rugby player who has played for the women’s team since 2018.
The players who withdrew claimed Birtwhistle Hodges used an unfair strength advantage in an event where competitors faced strong winds and currents.
Jamie Cook, the Angling Trust’s chief executive, explained the reason for the decision, saying: ‘This is an extremely emotive subject and we have seen a number of other sports grapple with it.
‘Angling has a strong heritage of open events and both our national and world championships are already universal (open) categories allowing the best anglers to compete regardless of gender.
‘The evidence generated by our assessment process has shown that strength, endurance and physical attributes have the potential to provide competitors with a significant advantage and thus influence fairness.
‘Increasing women’s participation is a core focus for the organization and an area in which we have had great success in recent years.
‘Ensuring the integrity of the female category across all angling disciplines will remove potential barriers and provide clear pathways for participation growth that will lead to national and international success.’
The decision by the Angling Trust, which has been reviewing its policy since last year, comes after the Confederation International de la Peche Sportive – the international angling federation – ruled in September that it was ‘absolutely discriminatory’ to allow transgender women to compete in sport fishing . category ladies.
However, the Beaumont Society, a charity that supports transgender people, insists that transgender women competing in fishing are not given an unfair advantage.
Meanwhile, several sports organizations have also revised the policy, with the government urging them to prioritize fairness over the inclusion of transgender people, insisting that those going through male puberty retain competitive advantages.
Meanwhile, Women in Sport said earlier in November that there should always be a protected category for girls or women born female.