Liberal Senator Claire Chandler has announced that she plans to introduce a private members bill that will change Australia’s anti-discrimination laws so sporting activities can legally exclude transgender people.

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“Millions of Australian parents and grandparents have proudly watched their daughters’ and granddaughters’ sporting achievements: playing their first game, winning their first trophy, making their first state team, or getting their first professional contract.” Senator Chandler said announcing her plan. “Yet under Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act, sporting codes, clubs and volunteers can have legal action taken against them for offering single-sex women’s sport.”

“I’m announcing that I am drafting a Private Senator’s Bill to put a stop to this and restore the rights of women and girls in sport. Single-sex sport for women and girls should not only be legal, it should be celebrated, promoted and encouraged at every level of sport. That’s what my Bill will help to achieve.”

Rallying against transgender women participating in sport has been an area of focus for the Tasmanian senator who was first elected to parliament in 2019. Senator Chandler will not face re-election at the next election as she is only half way through her six year term.

Writing in The Spectator magazine earlier this year Senator Chandler said there needed to be legal protection for single sex sports, facilities and spaces.

In 2020 Australia’s sporting bodies came together to launch a code of conduct that encouraged diversity and inclusion in sports. Senator Chandler argues that the organisations did not adequately consult women on this issue and instead listened to lobby groups.

“Sport Australia’s guidelines failed to take any account of the science, and they put much more effort into working with lobby groups than consulting female athletes,” Senator Chandler wrote.

OIP Staff

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