The Inclusion of Transgender People in Sport

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:00 pm on 7 June 2022.

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Photo of Laura Anne Jones Laura Anne Jones Conservative 2:00, 7 June 2022

First Minister, I feel the need to be clear, and I think it's important that I make it clear, that protecting women's rights does not for one moment mean that you're anti trans rights. Female competitors deserve the same rights as male competitors. We all know the huge benefits that sports can offer, and we all, I'm sure, want to ensure trans athletes can participate in sport. But what we don't want is a situation where we're trying to be so inclusive that it is to the detriment of a particular group. We have a situation where women athletes are so disheartened that they are pulling out of their own female categories because they say that trans women taking part in a female category have a male puberty advantage. Welsh Conservatives are looking at ways that we can help ensure that every athlete can compete, looking at ways that we can work with sporting bodies across the board, and looking at creating an open category to ensure fairness, inclusivity and safety across the board. I'm sure that we'll agree above all that it is of paramount importance that we ensure fairness in sport. It is fundamental to sport. First Minister, do you believe that trans athletes should compete in female sports? However you feel on this issue, to resolve it, it is fundamental that one can define a woman. So, First Minister, can you do something that many other Labour politicians have failed to do so far, which is define a woman?