Dear SFA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager,

I am writing on behalf of Gender Goals FC to express deep concern regarding the Scottish Football Association's (SFA) recent decision to ban trans women from participating in women's football. This decision is both unscientific and cruel for several reasons:

Lack of Scientific Basis: Research indicates that trans women who undergo hormone therapy do not possess significant biological advantages over cis women 1 The argument that trans women inherently outperform cis women lacks scientific evidence.

Mental Health Impact: Excluding trans women from sports can severely affect their mental health. Participation in sports is known to improve physical and mental well-being, and denying access can lead to increased rates of depression and anxiety among trans individuals.

Arbitrary Boundaries: Policies excluding trans athletes often reflect societal biases and a culture war stoked on fear rather than objective scientific reasoning. The British Medical Association (BMA) has condemned the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman as "scientifically illiterate." The BMA argues that a binary divide between sex and gender has no basis in science or medicine and is actively harmful to trans and gender-diverse people 2

Promotion of Inclusivity: Sports should promote inclusivity and equality. Banning trans women perpetuates discrimination and exclusion, which contradicts the principles of fairness and equality that sports are meant to uphold and flies in the face of the SFAs own equality and diversity policies, which emphasize fairness, justice, and respect for each other. The SFA advocates for inclusive participation and aims to promote and enhance diversity and inclusion 3 This exclusion undermines these values.

Historical Context: The exclusion of trans women from sports continues a long history of discrimination against women in competitive sports. This highlights the need for policies that support rather than hinder the participation of marginalized groups.

In contrast, the English Football Association (FA) allows trans women to participate in women's football under specific conditions, promoting inclusivity and ensuring fair competition and safety 4 The FA's policy is more inclusive and scientifically grounded compared to the SFA's decision.

Please can you provide clarity on the points listed below:

Stakeholder Communication: Why were stakeholders not informed about this decision before it was reported in the media? Effective communication with stakeholders is crucial for transparency and trust. The lack of a public statement from the SFA is an act of pure cowardice.

Mitigation Measures: What mitigation will be put in place to ensure the SFA can still meet its stated goals in their equality and diversity policies despite this exclusionary decision?

Consultation Process: What groups did the SFA meet with before arriving at this decision? Understanding the consultation process is important to ensure that diverse perspectives were considered.

Policy Enforcement: How does the SFA intend to enforce this policy? Specifically, does the SFA plan to conduct genital inspections on children as young as 13 if they are suspected of being trans? Such measures would be deeply invasive and harmful.

The SFA's ban on trans women in women's football is not only unscientific but also perpetuates cruelty by denying individuals the opportunity to participate in the most popular sport in the world, thereby impacting their mental health and well-being. We urge the SFA to reconsider this decision and adopt inclusive policies grounded in scientific evidence and fairness for all athletes.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to hearing your response.

Kind regards,

Clara McKechnie

Vice President

Gender Goals FC

We encourage all supporters of inclusivity and fairness in sports to sign and share this letter, contact the SFA - [email protected] , and oppose exclusion in sports.