Trans Aussie Rules player 'terrified' her right to play could be taken away

Australian Rules footballer Taylah Moore is "terrified" that the U.S. political agenda regarding transgender people's participation in sports could influence Australian politics, potentially preventing her from participating in community leagues. She fears that the political climate in the United States could negatively impact her athletic career in Australia, leading to uncertainty and potential exclusion.

In early February of this year, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women's sports competitions from elementary school through college. Although the Senate failed to garner the votes needed to advance the bill, the Trump administration still planned to pursue this cause, even without passing new laws. Last month, Trump notified school systems and universities that forcing girls and women to compete against transgender girls and women was tantamount to violating Title IX (which prohibits gender-based discrimination in any school receiving federal funding). This policy directive intensified the debate surrounding transgender athletes and fair competition.

As Republicans continue to make transgender sports a key part of their agenda, Moore fears that right-leaning politicians will adopt the same approach in Australia, especially in a federal election year. "I could lose the right to play sport immediately," said Moore, 34, who plays for the Golden Square team in the Bendigo Community Football League. She worries that once the issue becomes a focal point of discussion, it will quickly rise in the bipartisan system and become a matter that is either very close to being rejected or highly valued. "I'm just terrified that it will so easily go from where it is now to the point where I can't play sport."

To Moore's knowledge, she is the only transgender person in her league and does not know any other transgender people who play football. The Australian Football League (AFL) does not publicly track the number of transgender women at the elite level. However, Hannah Mouncey reportedly became the first transgender woman to play in the VFLW (playing for the Darebin Falcons) in 2018 after being blocked from the 2017 AFLW draft. Since then, no similar cases have emerged at the AFLW level. This highlights the ongoing challenges and limited representation of transgender athletes in Australian Rules football.

Moore returned to football in 2021 after playing a lot of football as a child because she wanted to find something positive and a sense of community for her mental state. She hoped to find a football club that not only tolerated her but also wanted and welcomed her, and Golden Square was exactly that. However, she fears that transgender people in sports may become political football ahead of the federal election, leading to decisions made by people outside of community sports that could have a huge impact on her life. This concern underscores the vulnerability of transgender athletes to political maneuvering and policy changes.

Moore began hormone replacement therapy seven and a half years ago, nearly four years before she started playing football. She says her testosterone levels have been at 0.3 nanomoles per liter of blood for the past two years. To compete at the elite level under the AFL's gender diversity policy, transgender women and non-binary people must demonstrate that their testosterone levels have been below 0.5 nanomoles for at least two years prior to the application date. This means, she says, that her testosterone levels are lower than almost every other player in the league. "There's nothing (hormonally) for my body to use... I simply can't get stronger. It's a very strange, scientifically very interesting space to be in," Moore said.

At the community level, leagues must submit transgender players to a committee for consideration – a committee comprised of representatives from the AFL and external experts to provide guidance – to determine eligibility. AFL Victoria and the Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL) have been contacted for comment, with the BFNL stating in a statement that it is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion. "The AFL is committed to including gender diverse people in our game. The AFL aims to ensure that gender diverse players who have registered to play football are supported in a safe and inclusive environment," the statement read. This commitment reflects the ongoing efforts to create inclusive policies and support systems for transgender athletes.

Moore was initially granted permission to play at Strathfieldsaye after several meetings with the league and someone came to watch her club to ensure the rest of the team was comfortable with her playing. However, Moore, who is 188 cm tall, realizes that some people think she has an unfair advantage. "I'm reasonably good at football, but not because I'm tall," Moore said. "I can read the play well and position myself well. The way I play can be very annoying to my opponents because I seem to be everywhere. Because of that, because of that perspective and my height, and how far I kick the football, some people think it's unfair. Especially in weaker leagues, it's hard to really back myself or even play to my full ability because I don't want it to look unfair or that I shouldn't be playing. The BFNL is very strong though, I get beaten all the time."

One year, in her league's vote count, she was in contention for best and fairest player, but she hoped she wouldn't win because she knew it could become news and be noticed by people outside of her football community. Current VFLW player Bronte Ashworth was Moore's opponent in their community league's 2024 grand final. Ashworth was happy to face Moore, saying Moore was "a very talented footballer," but she said there was a lot of transphobic rhetoric around the club before the game. Ashworth and other players found this frustrating and uncomfortable. "A lot of players said to me that particular contest had an unfair advantage," Ashworth said. When a member of the coaching staff made a particularly bad comment, Ashworth said a leader at the club apologized and agreed it was "unacceptable."

Moore says football is a "weird collection of positives and negatives" for her, but overall "the good outweighs the bad." She said that during her playing career, there have been "some things, incidents, comments," including awareness of teammates or opponents being reported or suspended for transphobic remarks. When she played in a grand final, she said members of the opposing men's team booed her every time she touched the ball. However, if a transgender woman asked Moore if she should participate in sports, she said she would tell them: "Go for it."

"As a transgender person in this space, I've been booed by crowds. I've been abused by opponents. I've been discriminated against by clubs, but I've been welcomed. I've been loved," Moore said. "I've made friends who have come to my wedding. I met my wife through football and found this welcoming, positive place that really affirmed my identity and helped me find something to look forward to. I get so much positive stuff out of participating in community sport that the rest is just the cost, just the price I have to pay. And, you know, I would pay it again. Really, I probably still will continue to pay it in some ways, but I still get so much out of it."