Should a transgender person be allowed to play women’s footy?
Take for instance the story of Kirsti Miller, who was born and lived over 30 years of her life as a rugged country bloke named Warren Miller.
Kirsti loves playing football, but much to her disappointment, she has been ostracised from all the local women’s footy clubs in Broken Hill.
“The rules clearly state that I can play the game.” Miller told Lace Out Podcast.
“It breaks my heart that every other person is allowed to play the game they love.”
It hasn’t always been this way – Miller played a handful of women’s footy games in 2013, copping plenty of on-field abuse due to her transsexuality.
“I copped abuse from players, officials and spectators from other clubs.
“It was a new thing to everyone so I expected some flak on the field but I thought I would receive far more support from AFL officials.
“Never once have I ever sought for anyone to be punished for these things that happened and it is certainly not what I am advocating for.”
But after speaking out about her ordeal in 2013, she was told that she was no longer welcome at her current club.
Since that day every attempt that she has had to join a football club has been unsuccessful, despite being accepted as a respected member of her local soccer team.
The common argument is that the fact that she was born a male would give her an unfair advantage against other women and could potentially put them at a risk of being injured.
But Miller vehemently denies this and says that, if anything, she is at a disadvantage.
“In 2003 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formed the Stockholm Consensus, which was comprised medical and sporting experts.
“They determined that post-operative male-to-female athletes will have no physical advantage after the denial of hormone treatment.
“I am massively weaker than I used to be: my mother, sisters and daughters produce male hormones, which I do not at all.
“If you had a person the same age and same weight participating in the exact same fitness regime, they would have a massive advantage.”
Miller believes that it is an insult to the women of Broken Hill to assume that she is a physical threat and that during her playing days there were never any complaints about her being too rough.
But alas, Kirsti Miller remains a forced spectator – at least for the time being.
Peter
Guest
The Afl is now allowing trans women that haven't undergone a sex change op to play women's football. Hannah Mouncey rejected by women's handball due to safety concerns but the AFL allow her to trial with Melb AFLW this week. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hannah-mouncey-trans-handball-player-sidelined-over-height-fears/news-story/ed49c42c1314d797427a9218c578b1ae
Steve Mcglashan
Guest
Relax she'll get to play with the women we're all politically correct now
Paul D
Roar Guru
Interesting read, thanks for that Wookie. Pretty gutsy of her to put it all out there in an AMA style topic of her.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Bigfooty has an extensive Q&A thread with Kirsti her eif you want more information https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/ama-transgender-player-kirsti-miller.1105520/
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Yeah, I was thinking the same about the pronoun. I also sort of wondered what the "She?" might look like on the tickertape display on the main page.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Isn't the process of transitioning that they're actually bringing their physiology in line with their brain/mind? I guess it would be hard to get that concept in that place and time though.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I always forget if Cat is Samantha or Gene-Anderson Conkling. Maybe they're the same person. Ironic I probably got the personal pronoun wrong given this topic.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
She?
Paul D
Roar Guru
Frankly I think you’re just claiming to be confused because I don’t agree with your prejudices. It’s perfectly obvious what I’m arguing for.
Karma Miranda
Guest
A little confused... you say you understand the discomfort of the majority, yet any concession to such is "pandering to the perception" of it? By the looks of things it's gone way past a mere perception. Sounds like she should be joining the Soccer club instead.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Somehow I doubt someone who has spent their whole life wanting to be a woman, undergoes all the trauma of transition and then gets the opportunity to play sport with other women, is going to be doing it so they can use advantage of whatever genetic advantage they have left to hip and shoulder other women into the ground on marking contests. Remember too, this is local, 100% amateur football, and Kirsti Miller is 48 years old. Not exactly going to be at the peak of her physical powers. I understand though that people would be uncomfortable – my response to that though, rather than banning her from playing and pandering to people’s perceived discomfort would be to let her play and show people that they have nothing to be uncomfortable about.
Karma Miranda
Guest
The way they are... or is that were? Or is want to be? Where do you draw the line for someone playing a contact sport, who's both proficient at said sport and completely different physiologically from all the other competitors? Happy for her personally, just saying that I can fully understand how fellow competitors may not feel so comfortable.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I think he was replying to Jeff.
Marshall
Guest
I am educated mate, I was making the point that these inividuals should be considered female, and that the hormone replacement therapy will negate any potential concerns regarding 'male' strength or speed.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Anyone who has transitioned isn't going to stop taking the HRT. It's essential if they want to remain the way they are.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Not sure to be honest, from what mum said other women were more likely to be stand-offish, men seemed by and large not to care as much. She transitioned in her 50’s though, and already had fathered 2 adult children many years earlier so it was a bit different to someone making the transition at a younger age. A lot of people knew what she had been through and how unhappy she was, so I think by and large people were pretty understanding.
Karma Miranda
Guest
That's a fair enough point... But you're not always going to be able to gave things your way. Living life as a Woman isn't going to magically give you the ability to bear children for example. Then there's the question of HRT... a body with the physiology of a man, de-tuned by hormones so to speak. Is she going to have to be tested regularly to make sure she is taking the required medication?
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Of course she can play.
clipper
Guest
That would've taken courage to do in Toowoomba - how did the other women react to her stand - did it make a difference? Good on her. I think a post op transsexual would have no advantage over other woman, no reason for her not to play - pre op or transvestite would be another story. Broken Hill would not be one of the best places to understand this though.
Paul D
Roar Guru
You can always find a higher scoring hand in the game of hard luck poker. But I don’t see how saying that quadriplegics do it tougher is an argument against allowing people to undergo gender reassignment and participate in life in a way that they find brings them happiness.