UK Footballer Must Wait Until After GRS to Play

[Carolyn Marie]

IMHO, it doesn't sound like the FA had any medical or logical reason to deny Ms. Houlihan the right to play, and perhaps is hoping that she will just go away and not bother them again.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520637/Transgender-woman-BANNED-playing-ladies-football-team-years-sex-change-operation.html

Carolyn Marie

[Carolyn Marie]

I'll amend my comments above to note that the IOC does require that the athlete have undergone GRS, and been on HRT for two years. However, Ms. Houlihan is not wishing to compete in the Olympics or even World Cup soccer, just her local team.

Carolyn Marie

[Drea]

...even though she has provided FA bosses with medical proof that her hormone levels are identical to that of a natural-born female.

So what does that mean? A person can get there hormone levels within a couple months. In fact, she has been on hormones for 8 months but this has been going on for 5 months so a mere 3 months on hormones and she was pushing to be accepted on women's sports.

So a few months on hormones and some documents change totally level the playing field?

I guess one should challenge why there should even be a separate women's sports anyways. It just purely for social reason and differences?

And true this isn't the Olympics, but then again she wouldn't be playing with/against Olympic level athletes.

I am curious what her potential teammates think? Were they cool with it? Or did she get turned away and then went to the league? Did local team even know about this? Was the competitors that complained?

I could argue with the SRS requirement, and suggest either Orchi or another path for eligibility like longer period on hormones (cause after SRS or Orchi it does change chemistry), but it seems they have established a threshold.

I am not particularly sympathetic that she was denied eligibility for the women's division so soon, just months, into treatment.

[Carolyn Marie]

I do agree that her claim is a bit farfetched that she has already lost so much muscle mass (after 8 months) that she would be unable to compete with men . All men aren't created equal, nor are all women. I do think that it would be socially awkward for someone who already looks very female to play on a men's team, but is that reason enough? The sports issue is not one that is going to go away any time soon.

Carolyn Marie

[Drea]

I figure it has nothing to do still being able to compete with men, but yeah that probably hasn't changed.

And I can't speak for there, but around here the battle of women to play in men's sports was fought a very long time ago. Though generally speaking unless there is a shortage of men or the women better than the guys available it doesn't happen and most women aren't interested in competing in men's sports.

Transition however doesn't happen overnight no matter how one tries to push things and I think at some point one should start to view things from the point of view of the gender they identify as rather than continually seeking external validation of their gender by being accepted into gender specific activities.

[Guest LizMarie]

The organization seems to be holding to the same standards as the IOC, or close. That seems reasonable at this time. She'll just have to wait.