A teenager with suspected autism has denied being transphobic as she faces a potential ban from football matches after asking a trans opponent if they were a man.
The unnamed 17-year-old girl was charged last month by her county’s Football Association over comments she made to a transgender player while playing in a friendly football match back in July.
The charges are for breaching the FA Code of Conduct, Improper Conduct and for Improper Conduct aggravated by Gender Reassignment.
She faces a six-to-12-match ban if found guilty during a hearing expected to take place later this month, which could see her sidelined from the sport for an entire season.
The teen was charged for saying comments to her opponent like ‘are you a man?’, ‘that’s a man’, and ‘don’t come here again’.
Her opponent was born male.
According to The Telegraph, the girl admitted to asking a player who had a beard if they were a man.
She also reportedly asked the referee about the trans player’s ability to play in women’s football given her concern for her ‘safety after already suffering a number of overly physical challenges’.
The teen was charged after a complaint was made about her via Kick It Out, an England-based anti-discrimination watchdog.
The complaint included a statement from the trans player and the opposing team’s captain, who accused her of transphobia.
The distraught girl however has denied being transphobic.
She is currently being tested for autism, and it is common for autistic people to struggle to express their feelings regarding gender.
‘The moment the player clarified they were transgender (which I previously hadn’t considered), 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’, the teen said in a written statement.
She added that she had ‘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 teen’s mother has branded the charges against the young footballer as ‘hugely unfair.’
‘I’m just furious’.
have reached out to the FA for comment.
The incident raises major questions about the FA’s decision to allow players who were biologically born male participate in football matches.
The FA’s current transgender policy is based on a testosterone suppression model, and uses ultimate discretion as to whether a transgender woman can register or not, allowing them to manage them on a case-by-case basis
Blood testosterone levels must be within a specified range and hormone treatment verified annually.
There are no transgender women currently playing in the professional football, or on the pathway for the professional game from any of the Home Nations.