Trans AFL footballer Hannah Mouncey has called out Scott Morrison for supporting a potential ban of transgender women from competing in female sports.
The Prime Minister has endorsed Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, who has been outspoken on excluding trans women from competing in female sport.
Talking on 2GB radio, the PM said: “Katherine is, you know, an outstanding individual … and she’s standing up for things that she believes in, and I share her views on those topics.
“I think it’s important that they’re raised and it’s got nothing to do with, you know, the broad agenda debates.
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“This is just about, you know, common sense and what’s right. And I think Katherine’s right on the money there.”
After Morrison’s comments, Hannah Mouncey told The Daily Telegraph: “Scott Morrison has never cared about women before, why is he caring now?
“Of all the concerns women have and are passionate about, this is not one of them.
“I am exhausted … if it’s good enough for the Olympics, that we play, it should be good enough for Scott Morrison.
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“We just want to be allowed to play.”
Laurel Hubbard became the first openly trans women to qualify for the Olympic Games and represented New Zealand at Tokyo in the weightlifting last year.
Hannah Mouncey publicly identified as a woman in 2016 after beginning her hormone therapy in Qatar while competing in a 2016 Olympics qualifying tournament.
She had competed for the men’s Australian handball team before her transition and has now played for the Australian women’s team since 2018.
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Mouncey has been a strong advocate for trans rights in sport after being denied entry into the AFL Women’s draft in 2017. She was eventually allowed to play in the following year's season.
The athlete also took to Twitter to point out the hypocrisy of Morrison’s statements about trans women in female sport.
She tweeted: “Love that Scott Morrison has decided that of all issues he could act on to ‘help’ women as PM, apparently, trans people playing sport is it?
“Betoota Advocate level stuff this from Scotty. Can’t wait to see him down at the AFLW, NRLW and WNBL supporting the girls.”
CEO of the National LGBTIQ+ group Equality Australia, Anna Brown also accused the Prime Minister of using the debate to fuel his own political agenda.
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She said: "Politicians must learn that there is nothing to be gained by refusing to stand up for LGBTIQ+ people or using debate about our lives to score cheap political points.
"Enough is enough.
"The political parties that wish to form government this coming election must commit to governing for all Australians, and to ensuring that every person in Australia can live their life, with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, or whom they love."
Jayden Collins