Pride Cup is concerned about the message that Basketball Australia’s decision sends to the broader community after they chose on Tuesday to reject transgender athlete Lexi Rodger’s application to play at a semi-professional level.

Pride Cup CEO Hayley Conway says, “It tells trans and gender diverse people that they should not excel at sport, they will be excluded if they’re too good,”

“There are a huge range of physical traits and variations that give one player an edge over another, including height or hand eye coordination. There are no definitive studies demonstrating a unique advantage held by trans athletes at the elite level.”

“Sport should be for everyone.”

“Our thoughts go out to Lexi at this time and we throw our full support behind all transgender athletes aspiring to excel in their chosen sports.”

“It’s obvious that Basketball Australia are attempting to be as inclusive as possible but this decision misses the mark. The policy and process underpinning this decision should be made transparent”.

“The Kilsyth Cobras should be commended for their approach to Rogers’ inclusion and ensuring they can field the best possible team.”

Currently, only 6% of LGBTI+ people participate in team sports due to a fear of discrimination.