00:00As a trans female footballer, Natalie Washington now only has a month left being allowed to play in women's football in England.
00:08The FA has been quite steadfast in their support for the participation of trans women up to now,
00:12so I was shocked and I was clearly upset and disappointed that this means that I'm having to stop playing football.
00:20Do you understand those who say there are sporting fairness and safety issues having trans women playing women's football?
00:26Safety, I've personally not ever seen any evidence that there's any real safety risk in women's football.
00:34I get bashed about on the pitch as much as anyone else does.
00:41And I think the FA have actually been reasonably clear that it doesn't seem that that's driving any of this decision.
00:49It is purely one of fear of litigation and the change in the law.
00:53A Supreme Court ruling that a female is defined by biological sex, forcing change from the English and Scottish FAs.
01:02It's wonderful news, but it's really quite late.
01:04The FA did not have to wait for the Supreme Court ruling.
01:07It was always open to it under the Equality Act to exclude people born male, people who are male,
01:14people who have male advantage from the female category, because the female category exists in order to exclude those people.
01:20The FA had tried to remain inclusive.
01:23Only a month ago, its policy was updated to allow case-by-case interventions to ban trans women over fairness and safety concerns,
01:31while still allowing others to play with reduced testosterone levels.
01:35But announcing the ban from the 1st of June, the FA said,
01:38There are only believed to be around 20 trans women playing in women's amateur football in England, with none in the professional game.
01:56The FA has told them to consider taking up refereeing or coaching instead.
02:01Therapy has also been offered.
02:02Internationally, there is no similar ban yet from FIFA, whose gender eligibility review has been ongoing for more than three years.
02:10But athletics and swimming have already limited global women's sports events to competitors female at birth.
02:16And in England, netball and cricket are following the FA's lead.
02:19While trans women will feel the pain of being excluded,
02:23moves to protect women's sport are being celebrated by campaigners.
02:26Rob Harris, Sky News.
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