Teenage girl faces soccer ban for asking transgender opponent: ‘Are you a man?’

An unnamed 17-year-old girl has been threatened with charges, suspension and a possible ban for identifying a male in her female football competition. 

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.  

The player had a beard and obviously appeared as male. The media reports the girl has suspected autism. One aspect of autism is being literal and factual. But ultimately, so what. No girl should be forced to participate in female sport with males, autism or not.

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 girl issued a statement after the furore. 

'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'. 

It is utterly reprehensible that any female is threatened for calling out males in female sport. Female sporting categories exist to provide a fair, safe and dignified playing field for women and girls. No man has ever become female. Any trans identified person can participate in their biological category or a mixed or open team.