NZ Orders End to Transgender Sport Inclusion Guidelines

The New Zealand government has ordered Sport NZ to scrap its 2022 guidelines that promoted the inclusion of transgender athletes in community sports, stating that 'biological males have no place in women’s sports' and prioritizing fairness and safety for female athletes. The coalition government, led in part by New Zealand First, has threatened to withdraw funding from sports organizations that do not maintain exclusive female categories where deemed appropriate. The removed guidelines previously encouraged participation based on self-identified gender and emphasized inclusivity. The government now says individual sporting bodies must determine their own transgender participation policies. The decision aligns New Zealand with recent moves in the US and UK to restrict transgender athletes in women’s sports. Critics argue that the change undermines diversity and the wellbeing of transgender individuals.