Transgender athletes in sport: Andrew Bogut weighs in on controversial debate, NBL1 South women’s competition

The controversial transgender debate was reignited Monday when basketball legend Andrew Bogut released a tweet revealing that a “biological male” would be playing in the NBL1 South this season.

Bogut’s tweet was confirmed by Basketball Victoria, who are working through the final stages of eligibility for the 2023 season in partnership with Basketball Australia.

The person and team have not been named for privacy reasons, but News Corp understands the team wanting to play a transgender athlete is Melbourne club Kilsyth Cobras.

As part of his first tweet, Bogut made his feelings about transgender issues clear.

“The word is @NBL1 South Women will have a natural male play next season,” Bogut tweeted.

“Are you okay with sacrificing the sanctity of women’s sport in the name of ‘inclusion’? #GirlDads where are you?

“The hashtag is hip until there is a need for action.”

Bogut’s tweet sparked an impassioned response on social media.

Two-time NBL guard Matt Shanahan, whose 16-year-old daughter is on the roster of an NBL1 South team, expressed concerns about the decision for a transgender athlete to compete in an elite women’s competition.

“I’m a dad of girls who has a 16-year-old daughter on an NBL 1 South roster who was asked if she would be comfortable with that,” said Shanahan, who currently coaches the Victorian Metro U18 team.

“Opening a giant can of worms, if allowed.”

NBL player Anthony Drmic called the decision to include a transgender athlete in NBL1 competition “wild”.

Frankston Blues forward Chloe Bibby offered a different perspective on the transgender debate in women’s sports.

“As someone who plays in NBL1, I don’t care what they identify as or their pronouns, she/she, she/she, he/she, because whatever, I’m still out trying to get them on the Place to spank that butt,” Bibby tweeted.

“They want to play ball and I have the utmost respect for that person. Go kill it queen.”

Rising star Bibby has been nominated for WNBL Break Out Player of the Year after a brilliant season for Perth Lynx.

It comes as Basketball Victoria has also worked with Basketball Australia to create the “Policies for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender-Specific Individuals in Basketball in Victoria”. These policies support opportunities for transgender athletes to participate, balancing fairness, inclusion and safety, particularly for Victorian Senior Representative Leagues such as NBL1 South, Big V and CBL.

In developing these guidelines, Basketball Victoria has followed Basketball Australia’s guidelines, specifically the Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Community Basketball document published in December 2021.

Basketball Victoria recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to eligibility in elite and sub-elite basketball and as such continues to treat applications to play at these levels on a case-by-case basis.

Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey said the new guidelines aim to provide guidance and support to associations at the community and stakeholder levels, with an emphasis on inclusion while prioritizing the safety of all participants.

“It is important that all athletes compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment, and we hope that everyone in the community can move forward together with a clear understanding of the new guidelines,” Honey said.

A judging process has been formulated and overseen by basketball and medical experts for the 2023 basketball Victoria competitive year (NBL1 South, Big V and CBL).

Basketball Victoria recognizes that the process requires continuous improvement and collaboration, so the case-by-case assessment process will remain a focus, with medical experts and members of the transgender and gender-sensitive community being consulted.

Sheena Atkin, Basketball Victoria’s Diversity and Inclusion Manager, added that while basketball has a long history of inclusivity and safe environments for athletes, coaches and officials, the new guidelines provide the clear support and framework needed for the entire Victorian community are needed.

“Basketball has long prided itself on being ‘everyone’s game’ and it remains so, particularly at the ‘community’ level. We are aware that there is still a lot to learn in this area. The new guidelines confirm that LGBITQA+ community inclusion and safety is a must at all levels of basketball.”

Transgender athletes competing in women’s sports have divided the sports world for the past 12 months, with many competitions and leagues refusing to play against female-identified athletes who were born biological males.

It comes as a Christian school in Vermont, United States, forfeited a basketball tournament for refusing to play a transgender athlete.

SHOCK BOGUT CLAIM RESTARTS TRANSGENDER ATHLETE DEBATE

Basketball legend Andrew Bogut reignited the transgender debate in women’s sports after he posted a tweet implying that a “biological male” would be playing in the NBL1 women’s competition this season.

Bogut took to his personal Twitter account Monday morning to claim that an athlete born male will play in the women’s NBL1 South, which begins next month.

The Boomers and NBA legend did not name the player or team but did make his feelings known regarding the controversial transgender issue.

“The word is @NBL1 South Women will have a natural male play next season,” Bogut wrote.

“Are you okay with sacrificing the sanctity of women’s sport in the name of ‘inclusion’? #GirlDads where are you?

“The hashtag is hip until there is a need for action.”

Transgender athletes competing in women’s sports have divided the sports world for the past 12 months, with many competitions and leagues refusing to play against female-identified athletes who were born biological males.

It comes as a Christian school in Vermont, United States, forfeited a basketball tournament for refusing to play a transgender athlete.

On February 21 of that year, the Vermont Christian School girls’ basketball team was scheduled to play an out-of-state tournament against Long Trail School. That changed when the school decided to abandon the game due to a transgender player on Long Trail’s team.

“We withdrew from the tournament because we believe that playing against an opponent with a physical male endangers the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” MCVS Principal Vicky Fogg said in a statement. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sport sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sport in general.”

Originally released as Basketball, Victoria wanted to approve the application for transgender athletes to compete in the NBL1 South women’s competition