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Another controversy has erupted in Victorian women’s football, as female players raise concerns about fairness, safety and biological differences in women’s sport.

Oh look! The thing that never happens, happened again. This time in Victoria.

But first, remember in New South Wales, I have been ordered to pay two males $95,000 in “damages” for identifying them and stating men should not be in women’s sport.

At least one male in NSW has won a top award in a women’s league, and the female players have been warned not to object or speak out, or they could also be taken to court.

Female Players Raise Safety Concerns

Now the same thing has happened in Victoria.

Football Victoria has come under fire from players in its senior women’s competition, who have accused the governing body of ignoring concerns about an alleged physical advantage and potential safety risks posed by a player who was born male and identifies as female.

The player has competed in the Victoria’s women’s National Premier League (NPL) in recent years and has bragged on social media about “smoking these b–ches”.

Fed up with a lack of action, former US pro soccer player Addison Steiner, who is now competing in Melbourne, is speaking out over what she describes as an unfair advantage that is costing young female athletes.

Ms Steiner said she felt a responsibility to speak up after competing against the transgender player, who the Herald Sun has chosen not to identify by name.

“This player was undeniably faster, stronger and more technical, out running some of the quickest players in the league,” she said.

“I found myself thinking damn this player is an absolute beast and shocked by their abilities, unaware she was a transgender woman until the game was finished.”

The transgender player won a top goal scorer award while competing in the state’s premier knockout competition for women’s football earlier this month, later bragging about her win on social media.

Of course, the media and Ms Steiner have not identified the male player, because under Australian law, it is the men who are protected while the women are gaslit and threatened with penalties if they object.

They know a picture is worth a thousand words, and when the public sees these images, there is outrage. Imagine if the world had never seen swimmer William Lia Thomas next to his female competitors, or those in weightlifting, cycling or more.

Ms Steiner, 31, said while she supports the trans community, the presence of biological males in female competitions cannot come at the cost of women and girls.

“It’s about protecting women’s sports where we have fought so hard for decades to be respected, seen, heard and given equal opportunities and resources,” she said.

“We are forced to succumb to these decisions made by the soccer federations here without any choice.”

Football Australia, Football NSW and Football Victoria all protect and promote males who wish they were women at the expense of women’s safety, dignity and fairness.

Another female player, who previously competed on the same team as the transgender woman, told the Herald Sun that it was clear the player was “physically advantaged in speed and strength,” raising concerns about “injury risk and unfair advantages”.

“Many players admitted being too scared to go in for tackles against them,” she said.

When she raised concerns with Football Victoria, she was told inclusion is their “foremost priority”.

When Inclusion Overrides Fairness

Football Victoria is not even embarrassed by their reality-denying position and proudly boasts that their policy is to prefer those who deny reality.

They can’t seem to acknowledge that male and female divisions were put in place for a reason.

In an email seen by the Herald Sun, chief executive Dan Birrell told the player: “There is no current requirement for born/biological sex disclosure from any player/person behind their identified gender.”

“In relation to strength or a perceived higher injury risk concern, there are a number of studies that have … placed these theories in doubt,” he wrote.

The player, who discussed her experience on the condition of anonymity, said Football Victoria’s guidelines were “not even close to good enough”.

“The NPL (National Premier Leagues) is not a community league as FFV claims, nearly every woman competing at this level has dedicated a life to the sport,” she said.

“It’s hard to communicate the frustration of seeing someone praised, receiving awards, scoring goals and making a mockery of players that have dedicated their whole life to something all because of a biological advantage that no biological woman can compete with.”

These men can play in the male league, an open competition where everyone consents to the mix of male or female or, better yet, create a transgender category.

It is obscene and unacceptable that these sporting associations would rather put women at risk than hurt a handful of males’ feelings.

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Republished with thanks to Binary. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.