The solidarity of the LGBTQ+ community is a safeguard against the sort of bigotry and hatred that puts lives at risk.
I was saddened to see that serving police officers in Belfast were no longer allowed by the PSNI to join this year’s Pride march dressed in their uniforms. At the same time Pride organisers chose to ban the participation of the Ulster Rugby club because of their policy on trans players.
Standing together with the trans community should not mean alienating rugby fans. Contact sports have tough decisions to make about the physical advantage a trans player might have in women’s rugby. The use of hormones or steroids to redress the balance is not a very satisfactory solution in the context of banning the use of drugs in sport.
Unfortunately, this issue has become highly politicised so that rational debate becomes very difficult. Safety has to be the top priority not gender politics.
odespinner 