South Australian Education Minister Blair Boyer has defended the inclusion of transgender girls in school sports, following criticism from federal and community figures over fairness and safety concerns.
His stance comes after media reports that a male-to-female trans student broke records at a South Australian Catholic’s sports day.
The 13-year-old child reportedly competed last year as well, achieving strong results in javelin throwing.
Some parents expressed concern over the student’s participation, prompting debate about whether current school sports policies are fair to all students.
However, the state’s education minister said the state’s approach aligns with its gender inclusion policies, which support students competing in sports based on the gender they identify with.
“We’ve got a lot of kids at school in South Australia, about 280,000 at hundreds and hundreds of schools, and this issue has only been brought to my attention once or twice in the three years I’ve been minister,” he told reporters.
“For the large part, it does operate well. I think it does mean all kids get a chance to participate and be included in sport at school.
“I can see that they are angry, but what I would say to them is as the minister—I want them to be places where everybody feels welcome,” he said.
Call to Protect Fairness
Federal Liberal Senator Leah Blyth responded by calling for immediate action to protect girls’ sports.“Sport should embody fair play and equal opportunity,” she said in a statement. “That principle was clearly tested this week.”
She argued that allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports undermines both fairness and safety.
“For decades, we’ve had separate male and female sporting categories for the same reason we have age groups or weight classes—to ensure fairness,” she said.
“The federal Sex Discrimination Act allows single-sex competitions where strength, stamina, or physique are relevant.”
Senator Blyth said that Boyer had focused on the fairness of the minority while forgetting the “many.”
Blyth warned that long-standing records of girls’ sporting achievements could be overshadowed by the inclusion of a biological male in their sport.
“We tell our daughters that if they train and work hard, they can succeed,” she said. “But what happens to that promise if they’re forced to compete against someone with an innate physical advantage?”
Blyth added that female athletes could end up walking away from their sports if they perceive a disadvantage.
“Let me be clear, transgender students deserve kindness and support,” she said.
“No one is calling for exclusion. But gender identity cannot override biological facts in competitive sport. No declaration of identity changes the physiological effects of male puberty.”
‘Unfair on Girls’
Former Australian Defence Force member, conservative blogger, and Catholic father Bernard Gaynor said Catholic schools should uphold what he called “biological reality.”“Catholic schools should be upholding biological reality instead of caving to the belief that a person can change gender,” Gaynor told The Epoch Times.
He argued the situation raised concerns for both fairness in sport and broader school values.
“It is time for Catholic bishops to man up, get control of their schools, and start teaching truth in the same way that Christ did. He was crucified for it,” he said.
Petition Launched
Advocacy group Women’s Forum Australia launched a petition to help keep women’s sports for biological women, particularly in events where strength and stamina are decisive.“In events where power, stamina, and strength are deciding factors, athletes who have passed through male puberty have a lifelong advantage that tilts the playing field very significantly in their favour,” the petition states.
“In addition, transgender inclusion elevates the risk to women’s safety, particularly for contact sports.”
