A girl footballer with suspected autism is facing a ban of up to 12 matches for asking an adult “bearded” transgender opponent: “Are you a man?” The Telegraph has the details.
In the latest case to raise major questions about the Football Association’s ongoing failure to ban those born male from the women’s game, the 17 year-old has been left distraught at being charged by her county FA over a remark made during a match against a trans-inclusive club.
She was charged last month with saying, “Are you a man?”, “That’s a man”, “Don’t come here again”, or similar comments during what was a pre-season friendly back in July.
In documents seen by Telegraph Sport, the girl admits asking a player she describes as having “a beard”, “Are you a man?” She also admits asking the referee for guidance about the player’s eligibility to participate in women’s football “given my concern for my safety after already suffering a number of overly physical challenges”.
But she has denied doing so constituted transphobia or that she made any comments that could be construed as such, while Telegraph Sport understands the referee also heard nothing he deemed to be discriminatory.
The girl was charged after the opposition club lodged a complaint via Kick It Out, English football’s anti-discrimination watchdog, which included testimony from the trans player and that team’s captain accusing her of persistent transphobia.
She faces a six-to-12-match ban if found guilty during a hearing later this month and she and her mother have decided to speak out about her plight because they feel they have been left with no choice.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Transgender teachers must be allowed to use the same showers and lavatories as female colleagues, schools have been told in training from the National Governance Association (NGA). School governors are informed that staff should be given access to the bathroom “available to other members of their newly acquired gender”.
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