Perkins said this week it was encouraging that Basketball Australia had taken the lead and engaged in a “very specific assessment process for the individual athlete”.
“We’re engaged with Basketball[Australia] in understanding the process that they’ve undertaken ... and we’ll utilise that information to continue[to] help us expand the guidelines and make sure we’re giving sport all support we can,” Perkins said.
Basketball Australia emphasised the eligibility of trans athletes was assessed on a case-by-case basis and said Rodgers would give feedback following her experience.
Despite requests,Basketball Australia would not divulge the criteria that formed the basis of the decision.
The new guidelines,which are specific to elite sport,will build upon the2019 guidelines developed in partnership with the Australian Human Rights Commission and Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports.
Those 2019 guidelines were developed with the aim to provide a framework for inclusivity for transgender and gender diverse people within community sport.
Perkins hosted an AIS Transgender and Gender Diverse Roundtable in Melbourne in November to consult on the potential guidelines. It was criticised by a small number of people at the time,including controversial former Liberal candidate Katherine Deves who tweeted:“Elite women’s sport in Australia is now targeted by gender extremists”,alongside a photo of the invitation to the roundtable.
There is no blanket policy for assessing the eligibility of transgender athletes,and while various recommendations are in place - including from the International Olympic Committee - sporting codes make their own judgments.
These guidelines will aim to assist national sporting bodies as they develop their own policies.
Other sports,includingWorld Athletics,World Rugby,andFINA (world swimming’s governing body) have effectively banned transgender women from competing under their respective policies.
“We’re a long way away from being settled on exactly what’s required or what’s needed[for assessing the eligibility of transgender athletes],” Perkins said.
“I don’t think there’s any sport in the world that can say with all certainty that,‘this is the process,it is infallible.’”