D'Arcy Waldegrave: The far-reaching consequences of sport's transgender row

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won't be able to take part in international female competition after Fina's ruling. Photo / Getty

OPINION:

The international governing bodies for swimming and league were quick out of the blocks this week when the subject of transgender athletes in sport returned to the news agenda.

Fina and IRL have decided to effectively bar transgender athletes from competing at the highest level of their sports. It is believed that a number of other global sporting bodies are positioned to do the same.

There are firm opinions on both sides of the divide around the participation of trans athletes at the elite level in sport. It's a debate that will continue for some time as sport wrestles with the challenging nuance that surrounds inclusion for a marginalised segment of our community.

And it should continue for some time. It is of huge importance - not for the high flyers though, but for the unknown athlete that competes at a community level, for average teams in everyday leagues across the globe. These are the people that must shoulder the hysteria whipped up by the voices of denial, the voices that remonstrate at volume and further drive the trans community backward.

This is not a monochromatic environment. As much as our society has been built around the easily understood concept of man and woman, it is not that simple. The human being is a complex carbon unit, not a cookie-cutter flesh product. In some cases we're not exclusively landed with one gender or another. For those who can't grasp the challenge of this slice of our humanity, the truth is confronting and not easily accepted. The thought that there is more than just Adam and Eve is too much.

Sport at an elite level has to act, as the voices of discontent are creating a cacophony that refuses to abate. I understand the concept of parity but at an elite level, this is a difficult proposition. Some athletes are simply bigger, stronger and faster - they come with a unique body makeup that accelerates them beyond others. They were born with advantages that can't be balanced. Transgender athletes can fall into that category. A cursory "one size fits all" ruling doesn't fit comfortably into that space.

I welcome the discussion. We have not faced such a triggering issue in sport. The basic rights of humans "to be" versus the challenge their unique situation presents.

There are no easy answers.

There are compelling and relevant arguments on both sides. The rights of cis women to compete on a level-ish field versus the rights of people to live their lives without judgement and with acceptance.

At a community level - the environment in which the majority of us play our sport or engage with our kids' sport - the trans debate has the most far-reaching consequences.
It is not a conscious decision to be born in the wrong body. This is a phenomenon that has a profound and overwhelming effect on an individual. This is bigger than a medal. This is deeper than a trophy. To be judged and categorised in order to enjoy a basic human right is wrong.

The trans community is not out to destroy women's sport. They just want to get on with their lives and enjoy sport for what it is, like many people do.

We must be vigilant around the catastrophic outcomes faced by people dealing with such complex questions around their sexuality and gender.

I choose to focus on the mental health of those people, to me a far more important area than the rare case of a trans athlete who might win the odd medal.