Protests after female footballer banned for asking trans opponent “Are you a man?”

Protestors took to the streets outside Wembley Stadium before England’s match against the Republic of Ireland last Sunday, to speak out against the Football Association’s controversial ‘transgender inclusion’ policy.

The protests were sparked by an incident in a recent match, where a teenage girl with suspected autism repeatedly asked a biological male, who was reportedly bearded, ‘Are you a man?’.

Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination organisation, passed the case onto the FA, where it was then adjudicated on by an FA national serious case panel. The girl was subsequently banned for up to six matches.

Transgender players over the age of 16 are allowed to play against girls and women under FA rules, as long as the player has a testosterone level comparable to that of a biological woman.

The girl denies being transphobic, and says she had concerns over her safety, and asked the referee about her opponent’s eligibility.

In her statement for the defence, she said she “raised a concern about the risk of a serious injury as a 17-year-old girl playing against a biological male who was much larger than me and a very physical player, which was possibly a safety issue as I did not want to get dangerously injured right before the start of a new season'”

“The moment the player clarified they were transgender, I respected their answer fully, dropped the situation and immediately shifted my focus back to the game before seeking guidance from the referee.

“At no point was my question meant to be hurtful or malicious as I only intended to seek clarity in an unfamiliar situation. Knowing now that the player was transgender, I understand that there were better ways to approach this question.”

Last Sunday, around 100 protestors staged a demonstration outside Wembley Stadium, with banners saying “save women’s sport” and “no men in women’s sport”. One protestor told the BBC: "It's a basic fairness and safety issue. This is a contact sport and those male players that have been through male puberty, they've got physical advantage. It's not just the unfairness of a biologically male player taking the spot that would've been taken by a female player otherwise."

Earlier this year, the Conservative government called on sporting bodies to take an “unambiguous position” and ban trans athletes from women’s only events. The FA is said to be keeping its position under review, but feels that there is no new evidence which would require it to change course.