A Mount Isa transexual woman has defended trans participation in women's sport as the issue hits national prominence.
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Just days after the prime minister Scott Morrison defended NSW candidate Katherine Deves for her anti-trans comments, a local trans says the furore ignores the real issue in sport
Mount Isa's Emily Wells won Queensland Rural Trans Activist of the Year in 2020 for breaking down stigma in the region and in a letter to the North West Star she says trans women have been participating in women's sports since 1976 and at the Olympic level since 2004.
"Only a few are playing women's sports at the amateur level and only 1 at the professional level," Ms Wells said in her letter.
"The current Federal Election debate arguing that trans women are a threat to fairness and equality in women's sports isn't just transphobic, the argument is also built upon a fallacy."
Ms Wells said women's sports aren't equal and not fair, but not because of trans women.
"We already face discrimination in many areas of our daily lives and while our PM uses us as his cannon fodder this election, the public debate trivialises and ignores the real threats to women's sports," she said.
Ms Wells said those threats were equal access for women to competitive opportunities, equal investment in women's sports, equal access for women to coaching and administrative opportunities, the level of sexual harassment and abuse and and at the professional level, equal pay.
"If voters want to fight for equity in women's sports this election, they shouldn't become distracted," she said.
"Ask local candidates what they will do ensure women sports has equal access, equal investment, equal representation, an end to sexual abuse, and equal pay at the professional level."
Ms Wells said trans women are less than 0.3% of the Australian population and the threat to women's sport is insignificant.
"This election the focus can remain on harassing trans women, or the focus can be on creating real change in women's sports," she said.
However her views are not shared by Robbie Katter who entered the debate on Thursday.
Mr Katter has pledged to move legislation in the Queensland Parliament to ban trans women from participating in female sports if the "corrosive, unfair and woke" trend is not outlawed by the next Federal Parliament.
"Biological males competing in female sport is not only unfair, it's ludicrous," Mr Katter said.
"Most people think it and most are afraid to say it. I'm not.
"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 by introducing a Private Member's Bill into the Parliament."
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