“Fairness and safety cannot co-exist,” says new guidance on trans inclusion in sport

New guidance suggests creating “open” and “universal” categories could be the way to include transgender people in sport.

The Sports Councils Equality Group (SCEG) says “for many sports, the inclusion of transgender people, fairness and safety cannot co-exist in a single competitive model”.

As such, the wide-ranging review concluded that current policies will require a complete overhaul to become more inclusive.

New formats should find “innovative and creative ways to ensure nobody is left out”.

The guidance continues: “In order to survive and thrive in the future, sport must adapt to reflect modern society, and that often, it is too slow to do so.

“Sport must be a place where everyone can be themselves, where everyone can take part and where everyone is treated with kindness, dignity and respect.”

Community sport up to a national level is covered by the report, though it will be up to governing bodies for each one to decide if they will opt for “competitive fairness”.

The guidance suggests that contact, collision and combat sports (or anything based on strength) will need to prioritise safety and should create “universal admission” categories for transgender athletes.

Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Northern Ireland, Sport Wales and UK Sport worked together to create the guidance after an 18-month consultation on current research.

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