An Australian soccer team has sparked outrage on social media after its club with several transgender players dominated a women’s preseason tournament.
The Flying Bats Women's Football Club, which includes five biological males, won every game they played over the course of the four-week competition and even won with a 10-0 victory in one of their matches.
The team finally won the the Beryl Ackroyd Cup final 4-0 at Macquarie Park on Sunday to take home the $1000 jackpot.
The Mail Online reports: Furious parents have withdrawn their daughters from games due to safety concerns, telling News Corp that players were unaware that they had signed up to compete against biological males.
Club officials have also contacted Football NSW to express their concerns, with some insisting that the Flying Bats should play in the mixed competition, which includes men.
'Our girls are here to play for fun and expect to play in the female competition. They did not sign up for a mixed competition,' a senior club official told the Daily Telegraph.
'There's no transparency from Football NSW, the girls don't know if they are going to be playing biological males or not.
'Some of the parents were so concerned they would not let their daughters play … It was so disheartening for them to see the huge difference in ability – they're killing it.'
On the Flying Bats' official website, they claim they are 'the biggest LGBTQIA+ women's and non-binary football club in the world'.
Club president Jennifer Peden told Daily Mail Australia: 'As a club, the Flying Bats FC stand strongly for inclusion, and pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, the promotion of a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ players, officials and supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits that participation in sport brings, especially to marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are a club that values our cisgender and transgender players equally.
'These guidelines, along with the Sex Discrimination Act, inform the gender inclusion policies of Football Australia, Football NSW, and the North West Sydney Football Association at the community, grassroots level at which we play.
'Trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify. Trans women have played with the club for at least 20 years, at levels ranging from beginner to skilled, just like our cis women players.
'Our players are graded on ability, and placed in the team that is most appropriate for their skill and experience level.'
John Ruddick, a Libertarian Party MP who has campaigned on the issue of retaining biological sex rights, also blasted the scenes in the North West Sydney League.
'It's not just a question of fair sportsmanship,' Mr Ruddick said. 'It's also a question of physical safety for female players born female.'
Binary Australia spokeswoman Kirralie Smith said: 'North West Sydney Football and Football NSW continue to put girls at risk and create an unfair playing field.
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