Almost every day, millions of Australians must ask if the Australia we once knew is gone forever; if what is called, the fabric of Australian society, isn’t being ripped to shreds.
We learn today that Northern Territory teachers, under a Labor Government, will be encouraged to organise “non-gendered” sports teams!
Far worse than that, an early draft of the “guidelines” tells us that teachers could be banned from calling students “boys” and “girls” to avoid offending children who might be questioning their gender.
So, in other words, stand the whole system on its head for, at most, a couple of children whom society and the system would always, I hope, treat with compassion and understanding.
But, no, children attending school camps will be able to use toilets and showers of their “affirmed gender”.
The guidelines tell us that “using gendered language such as ‘girls and boys’ or ‘ladies and gentlemen’ confirms gender stereotyping and roles and can be alienating for gender-questioning and gender-diverse children.”
The madness extends to this idiotic inclusion in the draft guidelines, “Swimming and aquatic activities, or any other sport where tight-fitting clothing is worn can be unsettling for children who identify as a gender different from their physical attributes. Schools should be flexible with regard to clothing type and participation.”
What is the evidence for any of this?
But, again, do the majority of children have to succumb to the dictates of bureaucrats directing teachers, on the basis that some children have genuine concerns about their assigned gender.
Where will all this end?
Which brings us to Katherine Deves and Prime Minister Morrison.
Admittedly, Katherine Deves has made some foolish and insensitive comments on the issue which preoccupies her.
But, her predominant issue is that women should only compete against biological women in sport.
Prime Minister Morrison has got himself into all sorts of trouble within the NSW Liberal Party such that there are seven seats in which there is no Liberal candidate at this election.
Katherine Deves was a captain’s pick.
But, the Prime Minister’s support for Katherine Deves may well be the issue which redeems him.
He said today Australians are “sick of walking on egg shells” about trans-women in sport.
Put the fullstop in earlier, Prime Minister.
Australians are sick of walking on egg shells, terrified to say what they think, with a library of statutes ready to be thrown at them for expressing a personal view.
The Prime Minister and the NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, are articulating, in their support of Katherine Deves concerning women’s sport what, I feel, the vast majority of Australians believe; and Governments should be about honouring the majority of Australians while respecting minorities, but not caving into them.
The comments by Professor Ross Tucker, a sports scientist, and one of the architects of World Rugby’s transgender athlete guidelines, one of the only policies in world sport that has instructed federations to ban trans-women competing at an elite level for “safety reasons”, should be noted.
He condemned sports bodies which continue to embrace inclusion over science, arguing that fairness and inclusion cannot coexist in women’s sport.
Some sports have policies restricting testosterone levels in transgender athletes; but Professor Tucker says there is no good evidence that supressing testosterone removes male advantage because the biological effect of the hormones in males is not undone.
As Professor Tucker told Jessica Halloran, the Chief Sports Writer for The Australian, in a splendid piece by her, commenting on the argument about lowering testosterone levels in transgender athletes to a mandated amount, Professor Tucker argues, “Whatever it is in our biology that gives males advantage, and it is many things – a skeleton, muscle, lungs, blood, nerves, tendons, those things don’t disappear… and if you understand that… you understand you can’t have fairness and inclusion.”
Acknowledging that some rugby federations have chosen not to implement World Rugby’s policy, Professor Tucker says that this is done “out of fear”.
This is the Prime Minister’s point, people walking on egg shells.
The Prime Minister is right when he says that Katherine Deves has raised “very important issues… I share her views of these topics”.
Katherine Deves has simply said, there is no place in women’s sport for biological males.
I suspect that when the NSW Treasurer, Matt Kean, is calling for Katherine Deves to be disendorsed, it is from a position of profound ignorance.
He needs to be careful.
There may be many in the Liberal Party seeking his disendorsement.
Some may argue that the Prime Minister is supporting Katherine Deves because she was a captain’s pick.
Whether that is the case or not, he has stumbled on an issue which, I believe, has the overwhelming support of the majority of Australians.