In what can be termed as a blow to LGBTQ+ rights and demand for inclusion, a UK Supreme Court ruling that excludes transgender women from the legal definition of women has prompted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to ban transgenders from competing in women’s and girls’ matches with immediate effect. The Football Association (FA) and netball have taken similar stance.
A statement issued by the ECB stated: “With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls’ cricket matches.” It added that transgender women and girls can continue playing in open and mixed cricket.
While the ECB acknowledged that the decision will have “significant impact” on transgender women and girls in the sport, it is noteworthy that the body had previously banned transgender women from participating in its elite competitions.
The Supreme Court’s decision on April 15, meanwhile, had come after a campaign group, “For Women Scotland”, petitioned against the Scottish government contesting that sex-based protections should only apply to people who are born females.
The ECB, in its statement, insisted on the importance of inclusivity, saying that “abuse or discrimination” had no place in cricket and that they would study the report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on the issue. “Our regulations for recreational cricket have always aimed at ensuring that cricket remains as inclusive a sport as possible. These included measures to manage disparities, irrespective of someone’s gender, and safeguard the enjoyment of all players.
However, given the new advice received about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, we believe the changes announced today are necessary.”
The body promised support to the “cricketing ecosystem”, saying, “We will work with Recreational Cricket Boards to support people impacted by this change in our regulations.”
Meanwhile, The English Football Association (FA) had on Thursday announced that transgender women would no longer be able to compete in women’s football in England from June 1.
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