The controversial bill will ban transgender athletes in the state if it passes
An Australian MP is set to try and impose a new bill that will ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports in the state of Queensland if the next elected federal government doesn’t outlaw it themselves.
Crossbench MP Robbie Katter has stated his commitment to getting the controversial bill passed following insensitive and transphobic comments made by Warringah (New South Wales) candidate, Katherine Deves, who has since apologised for her “divisive” remarks.
As well as Deves, who is said to have been hand-picked by Scott Morrison for the seat in north Sydney, the Australian PM also stated his support for similar legislation earlier this year after Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler proposed a bill that would allow sporting bodies to exclude trans competitors from single-sex sports.
Speaking in a statement on Friday, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) stated that “If the next federal parliament doesn’t outlaw this nonsense, and prevent sport in Australia going down the woke and corrosive path it has in the US, I will commit to testing public opinion on this issue in Queensland”, giving them a window to do so within 90 days of forming a new government.
As Katter alluded to, cases such as swimmer Lia Thomas, who had her 500-yard freestyle title revoked by Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis have been a hotbed for discussion in recent months.
The KAP leader’s proposal is unlikely to be passed under Queensland’s majority Labor (ALP) government, which has remained generally supportive of transgender rights throughout the ongoing cultural debate.
This comes after Australian swimmer Emma McKeon recently stated that she believes “it’s just not fair” for individuals who have transitioned from male to female to compete in cisgender women’s events.
However, a recent study carried out in Australia suggested that the majority of female athletes have no problem competing against trans women in the same category, with less than a quarter (24 per cent) of women believing that “trans athletes have an unfair advantage when they play on a female sports team”.
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