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Minister for Sport and Recreation Chris Bishop says he is considering updating the guiding principles for transgender athletes participating in sports, after more than 50 Olympians and high-profile sports identities signed a letter challenging the Government to ban male advantage from women\u2019s sports.

The group, including gold medal winners Barbara Kendall and Joseph Sullivan, accuses Sport New Zealand\u2019s guidelines of disregarding the rights of female athletes. It argues the guidelines allow males who identify as female to compete in women\u2019s sports without any explanation or transition. They believe that accepting self-identification as the sole criterion for inclusion goes against scientific evidence and disrespects female athletes.

Yesterday, Bishop was presented the letter by former Olympic cyclist Gary Anderson, professional ironman athlete Candice Riley, and Save Women\u2019s Sport Australasia co-founder Ro Edge.

\u201cI think they make some fair points and we are considering updating the guidelines,\u201d Bishop told the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning. \u201cThe major point I think they make which I think has some merit to it is that the guidelines don\u2019t say anything at the moment about fairness.

\u201cIt\u2019s a document-based, all-around inclusion, and that\u2019s really important because we want everyone, no matter their gender or how they identify to be able to participate in community sport \u2013 that is really important. We\u2019ve also got to get the balance right between making sure that people feel like they can participate but also that there\u2019s fairness in the sports and safety for people participating as well.

\u201cI think the document could be updated to better reflect what I think the community expects from that so just having to think about that and once we\u2019ve got a position on that, we\u2019ll we\u2019ll take it forward.\u201d

In June, the Herald revealed that following a comprehensive survey of 63 taxpayer-funded New Zealand national sports, 18 (29 per cent) of sporting codes have a transgender inclusion policy in place. Of those, 11 used Sport NZ\u2019s guidance to develop their policy. Some 45 (71 per cent) organisations did not have a policy, but 21 of those were developing one.

At the recreational level, boxing and Triathlon NZ have open categories in which anyone, including transgender people, can participate.

Setting age and stage conditions for the inclusion of transgender people in the gender they identify with is another approach. NZ Rugby League has a policy that at age 13 and over participants must compete in the gender they are assigned at birth. Other sports such as netball require participants, at certain levels, to have either undertaken hormone therapy, testosterone levels below a stated level, or provide a document confirming their legal gender.

Bishop emphasised the guidelines were simply that and weren\u2019t mandatory.

\u201cSome sports are doing this quite well and are grappling with it. Others are sort of yet to kind of turn their mind to it, particularly comprehensively, and the guidelines will help in doing that,\u201d he told Hosking. \u201cThey\u2019re just, it\u2019s meant to be just helpful guidance for sports to use as they navigate through this issue.\u201d

Asked whether Sport NZ shared Bishop\u2019s views, the minister told Hosking it was a government department that reported to him and was required to give effect to government policy \u2013 if he asks them to update the guidelines, they will have to.

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