Sharron Davies urges Keir Starmer to follow Trump’s lead on transgender athlete ban
Sharron Davies urges Keir Starmer to follow Trump’s lead on transgender athlete ban
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British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies has called on Labour leader Keir Starmer to match Donald Trump's ban on transgender athletes in women's sports. Davies, 62, made her appeal after Trump signed an executive order barring transgender women and girls from female competitions in the US. "Please Keir Starmer can you now do as you said you would & protect all female athletes here in the UK in sport?" she posted on X.
The former Olympian has been a vocal campaigner on the issue, claiming "mediocre male athletes are stealing women's medals.". In a recent Policy Exchange report, she warned that amateur sport policies were forcing women to "be kind" and "inclusive" at the expense of fairness and safety. "For too long, those responsible for setting policy within sports have prioritised transgender inclusion over the rights of female athletes," Davies wrote, adding that "we risk alienating a generation of future female athletes.".
The debate has already prompted action in British sport, with England Hockey announcing a ban on transgender women from next season. UK Athletics implemented similar restrictions two years ago following World Athletics' international ban. Lord Sebastian Coe, an IOC candidate, has suggested he would consider extending restrictions to the Olympics if elected next month. "We've taken the lead at World Athletics," he told Sky News in December.
Trump's order, signed at a White House ceremony, primarily affects high school, university and grassroots sports. "From now on women's sports will be only for women," he declared, warning schools they could lose federal funding if they don't comply. "With this executive order the war on women's sports is over," Trump added. "If you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated... and risk your federal funding.".
