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Second protest at England Women’s game expected over six-match suspension for 17-year-old with suspected autism
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A second protest over the banning of a teenage girl for asking a “bearded” transgender opponent “Are you a man?” has been planned for England Women’s friendly against Switzerland.
It follows a demonstration before the men’s Nations League game against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, with more than 200 women and men estimated to have descended on Wembley amid growing outrage over the six-match suspension imposed on a 17-year-old with suspected autism, who wept upon being grilled about her comments.
A group calling itself Twelve O Five, which organised Sunday’s protest, is planning a second demonstration at the Lionesses’ friendly at Bramall Lane next month.
The Wembley action, staged halfway down Olympic Way, was also protesting against the Football Association’s policy of allowing those born male to play in women’s football.
It featured a number of chants, including, “Stand up for girl’s football”, and, “Boys and girls are not the same. We don’t want men in our game. On the pitch or on the court, keep men out of women’s sport”.
Among banners held up by demonstrators were ones, written in capitals, which read: “Save women’s sports”, “No men in women’s sport” and “The FA cares f. all about women and girls”.
The protest was welcomed by the mother of the girl, who was banned last month by the FA’s national serious case panel and missed the first match of her suspension on Sunday.
She told Telegraph Sport the family were “thankful and grateful” for the support they had received, adding: “Everyone has helped her to know that she did the right thing. This action and support today means a lot to her and to other women and girls who are currently being forced to accept men in their sports and spaces. Thank you all so much, the fight goes on.”
The girl whose plight triggered Sunday’s protest will miss two matches for her club, with the remaining four games of her ban suspended for a year.
Her identity has been concealed by Telegraph Sport as she is a child and on the assessment pathway for autism.
She was found guilty at a hearing last month on the basis of her own evidence to the panel, which had included that she had sought guidance from the referee over the eligibility of a trans opponent and had expressed concerns for her own safety.
That is despite her denying that doing so constituted transphobia and the referee also having not noticed anything he deemed to be discriminatory.
Her ban was condemned on Wednesday in the House of Lords by Lord Triesman, the former FA chairman, who also said of the matter: “I don’t intend to let it rest.”
An FA spokesperson said: “Millions of people play grass-roots football every week and we are proud of the many opportunities that are available to those who wish to play and enjoy the game. We understand that this is a complex matter, and we are very aware and respectful of strong views on all sides. This particular case was heard by an independent National Serious Case Panel, and they issued a sanction for a breach of FA rules.
“However, considering the ongoing public discussion – which has included some inaccurate information – it is important to note that the sanction was for two matches only, with an additional four matches suspended. If the details of the case had been limited to those currently in the public domain, it is highly likely that no sanction would have been issued at all. We have said previously that this is a complex case, all the facts are not in the public domain, and we are unable to publish more detail due to the age of one of the people involved.”
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