Sports minister makes shock announcement after Olympic stars told government to change guidelines on trans athletes

New Zealand’s minister for sport and recreation, Chris Bishop, has called on Sport NZ to reconsider its guidelines on the inclusion of transgender athletes in sport.

It comes after more than 50 Olympians wrote an open letter to the government, expressing concerns about its position on the participation of trans athletes in the sport.

The letter, which was also signed by doctors and sports administrators, said Sport NZ’s current guidelines ignored the rights of female athletes. It also claimed the rules undermined fairness and safety.

The guidelines, which were issued in 2022 and do not apply to elite sport, state: ‘Every New Zealander has the right to participate in sport and to be treated with respect, empathy and positive regard. Transgender people can play sports in the gender with which they identify.’

Bishop believes the guidelines do not “reflect community expectations” and currently “do not prioritize fairness and safety.”

Several New Zealand Olympians had written to the government asking for changes to Sport NZ’s guidelines on the participation of transgender athletes (Photo: The Kiwi team at the 2022 Winter Olympics)

‘The Guiding Principles, published in 2022, were intended to provide a useful guide for sporting organizations grappling with a difficult issue. They are intended to be voluntary and not mandatory,” he told the newspaper New Zealand herald.

“It is important that transgender people feel able to participate in community sports, but there are obviously difficult issues that sports organizations must grapple with around fairness and safety as a result of that participation,” Bishop said in a statement Wednesday.”

Bishop added: “I have come to believe that the Guiding Principles do not reflect the legitimate expectations of the community that community-based sport should not only focus on diversity, inclusivity and equality – but also prioritize fairness and safety. ‘

Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said in a statement the organization would review and update its guidelines. She added that the governing body would continue to integrate “lessons from lived experiences within the sector.”

“The updated guidance will be used as a tool by sporting organizations as they choose to develop their own policies specific to their sporting environment,” Castle said in a statement. Reuters.

The news also comes after a senior United Nations adviser claimed sex testing should be mandatory again in sport, following the gender row that engulfed women’s boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting both won gold this summer despite previously being banned from competing in the 2023 World Championships after the International Boxing Association reportedly discovered male XY chromosomes during testing.

Sport NZ CEO Raelene Castle insisted the organization would review and update its guidelines

But those in favor of transgender athletes’ participation in sports have pointed to recent reports from the United Nations claiming that trans and non-binary people have the right to compete in sports. They also argue that not enough scientific research has been done to assess the full impact of transition on an athlete’s performance.

InsideOut, an organization that provides advice, support and workshops for LGBTQIA+, says it is hopeful the government will continue to recognize the rights of transgender people to participate in sport.

“A recent report from a UN expert recognizes that all people – including trans and non-binary people – have the right to participate in sport,” director Tabby Beasley told the outlet.

‘We hope that Sport NZ and the Government will continue to recognize this right, and take into account the safety and wellbeing of trans and non-binary people who we know face significant barriers to participating in sport.

‘In any updates, it is important that the original intent of the guidelines is maintained and that trans communities are consulted. When we talk about fairness and safety, we must ensure that these words are not used to cover up transphobia or gender discrimination.

The guidelines say trans athletes are encouraged to participate in sport, but they do not cover elite sport (photo, New Zealand flags at the Paris Olympics)

It comes after the gender row that engulfed the Paris Olympics when two boxers became the center of a huge controversy

Imane Khelif (pictured) was allowed to compete despite reportedly failing the International Boxing Association tests in 2023

‘Existing community guidelines already talk about ensuring fairness in participation and we believe the first consideration in fairness is whether all people have the opportunity to participate in sport. I would encourage people to think about those who are most directly affected by the current media debates and campaigns around these issues.

‘We are not talking about top sports here, but about transgender people who just want to play in their school or neighborhood sports team.’

Labor spokesperson Peeni Henare believes decisions on trans participation should be left to individual governing bodies.

“Sport NZ wants inclusivity – and we agree. Sporting codes are the best bodies to make decisions about participation and competitions, but overall we must strive for a sporting culture in New Zealand that is inclusive,” she told the New Zealand Herald.

“All New Zealanders have the right to participate in local community sports and to be treated with empathy and respect.”

UN adviser Reem Alsalem (photo) believes that anyone who does not want to compete on the basis of their biological sex should be placed in an open category

In 2023, World Athletics announced that it would ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports, with president Sebastian Coe stating that the decision was based on the “overarching need to protect the female category.” Several other sports, including cycling, swimming and rowing, have also brought new rules for participation.

While Sport NZ’s guidelines cover community sport, Olympic swimmer Dave Gerrard said there was a “fine line” between telling individuals they can compete at one level but not at the elite level.

‘While Sport NZ makes it clear that their policy covers community sport and recreation, it is difficult to imagine that you could allow someone to compete under self-identification and then get to a point where they might be considered good enough to be selected for provincial or representation at a more elite level such as national or world championships,” Gerrard told the New Zealand Herald.

“There’s a fine line between saying we want inclusivity based on self-identification, but when do we say to those individuals, ‘Sorry, this is as far as you can go.’