In wake of recent rulings against transgender athletes competing, the largest sports federation in the world sets the tone for future inclusivity. The German Football Association extended a press release addressing the recent developments for the 2022-2023 season, which changes regulations for youth teams and junior futbal, or indoor soccer, leagues within the DFB.
The change in regulations allows for transgender athletes to choose the team that best aligns with their gender, a breakthrough ruling in a sector that did not have any specific regulations on trans athletics until now. Within the press release, DFB Diversity Ambassador Thomas Hitzlsperger says, “Football stands for diversity, a value that the DFB also promotes. This new regulation on playing rights will provide an important foundation to allow players with diverse gender identities to play football.”
This ruling, of course, rivals the recent decision made by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), in which 152 members of the organization voted to release their “gender inclusion policy” that effectively bans transgender women from competing in women’s swimming events. This decision creates an “open” category for women athletes with a testosterone level over 2.5 nanomoles per liter, and states that women who have begun their transition post-puberty cannot compete with the team that matches their gender.
This serves to effectively exclude other trans women competitors instead of serve as an “inclusive” policy, angering professional, and youth athletes alike across all sporting categories.
In contrast, the German Football Association is actually not the first organization within the nation to have definitely ruled on inclusive policy.
The Berliner Fußball Verband, the regulatory football body within the German capital, has permitted trans athletes to choose their team since 2019, making note that “all people have different physical strengths and abilities that only lead to the success of a team, regardless of gender.”
Trans-inclusive policy made by both of these influential bodies will hopefully serve as an example for inclusivity and acceptance in the world of sports.
