(Reuters) - A group of more than 50 New Zealand Olympians, doctors and sport administrators has called on the government to review guidelines on transgender athletes in community sport, saying they ignore female athletes' rights and undermine fairness and safety.
The group raised their concerns in an open letter addressed to New Zealand's sports minister Chris Bishop, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and foreign minister Winston Peters.
The letter called for an urgent review of Sport New Zealand (SNZ) guidelines which encourage transgender athletes to compete in amateur-level sport in the gender they identify with and not need to prove or justify their identity.
"While universal participation in sport carries undisputed benefits to mental and physical health, women's sport can only remain fair and safe when male advantage is excluded," the letter said.
"The SNZ guidelines ignore the rights of every female athlete, and as much as we celebrate the spirit of inclusivity espoused by the Rainbow community, fundamental tenets of fairness and safety in sport have been disrespected by the SNZ document."
SNZ referred a Reuters request for comment to Bishop's office.
Critics of transgender inclusion in women's sport say going through male puberty imbues athletes with a huge musculo-skeletal advantage that transition does not mitigate.
Supporters of transgender participation argue that not enough research has been done into the impact of transition on athletic performance and excluding trans athletes amounts to discrimination.
The letter was presented to Bishop and Peters on Wednesday by representatives of Save Women's Sport Australasia, a group campaigning against transgender athletes in female sport.
The representatives included former Olympic cyclist Gary Anderson and rower Candice Riley.
Bishop told New Zealand media through a spokesperson that he had a constructive meeting with Save Women's Sport on Wednesday but had not had a chance to read the letter.
"It was interesting to hear their perspective on the issue. I'll let you know when I have anything further to say," he said.
Peters, leader of New Zealand First, said the letter supported the conservative political party's stance.
"The fairness of competition and safety for women and girls in sports is the paramount focus for this stance and should not come second place to woke ideology," he posted on X.
The SNZ guidelines issued in 2022 do not apply to elite sport. Individual sports in New Zealand govern how transgender athletes participate at elite levels.
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
