Clause 19 - Sport
Gender Recognition Bill [Lords]
2:45 pm
Dr Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak, Labour)
I want to query the necessity of this clause, which was not included in the draft Bill but was inserted at the insistence of certain peers who seem to be living in a fantasy world in relation to allegations of threats that the Bill could jeopardise the way in which sports are governed. For example, one newspaper article referred to the following suggestion:
''The Gender Recognition Bill . . . has put the entire future of competitive sport in jeopardy''.
The noble Lord who moved the amendment said that there would be plenty of sportspeople who would attempt to use such rules to get an edge.
The idea is that somebody could change their sex at will. A male could apply to become a female and gain an advantage over other women in competitive sport. That really is a fantasy, and I am disappointed that the Government have gone along with such a notion. The clause allows sports bodies to discriminate against transsexual people on the basis of a necessity to secure fair competition or the safety of competitors. Sports bodies already have the power to decide safety matters; if they thought that a boxer would cause himself harm by going into the ring, they could stop him from participating. So, I query the safety aspect of the clause.
There is the idea, based on science fiction, that people change from one to sex to the other at will. The Bill does not allow that. Somebody seeking recognition for the gender that they perceive themselves to have always been in must have lived in that role for two years and received some, if not all, medical treatment for the condition. So, the idea that a man could become a ladies' champion is an unrealistic and fictional concept because any man treated with feminising hormones is likely to be at a disadvantage to the very fit women that currently compete in sport at the highest level.
It is appropriate for the Minister to respond to the question of why it is necessary to include a clause that allows unnecessary discrimination against transsexual people.