The Ladies Gaelic Football Association
Croke Park, Dublin 3
To: Chief Executive Officer: Helen O’Rourke
A chara,
Thank you for your response to my email calling on you to immediately reverse the Transgender Policy ratified on 15-Feb-2023.
I am a _________________ at _________________________ Club/County and I remain extremely concerned at the effect this policy will have on the women and girls in my Club/County.
Although I accept that there was a need for such a policy, I object to the content of this policy and the manner in which it was rushed through Governance without appropriate consultation. The policy as currently written does not address safety or fairness for female players. I would like to point out that the Equal Status Act, 2000 section 5 (2) (f) does allow for exclusion based on sex. The policy gives no guidance at all on inclusion for trans-identified females who may be taking testosterone.
The most comprehensive review in this area found that male advantage was not meaningfully altered by testosterone suppression and that testosterone levels should not be used as a metric in allowing males to enter female sports. The risk assessment outlined in the policy does not give any guidance to Clubs and match officials on how to make such assessments in the event of a trans-identified male arriving to play a match.
I am very concerned at the lack of consultation of players and clubs in relation to this policy. This policy will change the face of Ladies Gaelic Football and players (and their parents if underage) should have been allowed time to consider this policy, including all its practical implications.
I reiterate: I do not consent to mixed-sex teams, regardless of how players identify. I do not consent to mixed-sex changing and toilet facilities. Ladies Gaelic Football must remain a single-sex sport in the interests of safety, fairness, inclusion, and competitiveness.
The current Transgender Policy must be reversed immediately before it’s too late and female players self-exclude or are injured seriously and needlessly having been tackled by male players.
Is mise le meas,
___________________________