TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods challenged a Labor colleague on social media on Wednesday as she waded into a debate about transgender athletes in sport.
During a debate in the House of Lords on Tuesday, Labor spokeswoman Fiona Twycross was asked about fairness, safety and equality for women in sport after boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting won gold medals at the Paris Olympics, despite they would fail gender tests last year. .
Twycross revealed the government had not spoken to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or boxing authorities, claiming reporting on the fighters was ‘highly speculative’.
Twycross added: “The Sports Council guidance recognizes the need for solutions across sports based on the points raised by the noble lady. They found two diametrically opposed camps, which I believe are reflected in the Chamber today when it comes to the inclusion of trans women.
‘And the guidelines showed that you cannot easily reconcile inclusion with fairness and safety in relation to sport, and that is easier in men’s sport. The Sports Council also recognised, and I believe your Honor should too, that society is changing, and that simply maintaining existing arrangements in sport does not enable inclusivity and will in fact not serve anyone well.”
Laura Woods has responded to a Labor peer’s response during a debate on transgender athletes in sport
Labor peer Fiona Twycross (pictured) revealed the government had not spoken to the IOC or boxing authorities after Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Tin won gold medals at the Paris Olympics, despite failing the gender tests last year had achieved
Imane Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight division at the Paris Olympics this year
Lin Yu-Ting also won a gold medal in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics this summer
Woods revealed in July that she is expecting her first child with Love Island star Adam Collard, and she received death threats against her unborn baby the last time she spoke out about transgender athletes in sport, but she has decided to speak out again
Woods is expecting her first child with former Love Island star Adam Collard and received death threats to her unborn baby the last time she spoke out about the transgender debate, but she still contacted X to address Twycross’ response in a series of messages on Wednesday afternoon to reject. .
Her first message read: ‘Crazy discussion in the House of Lords around women’s sport. @Baronessjenkin highlighted a UN study published in August that calculated: “In March this year, more than 600 female athletes were defeated in more than 400 events by trans-identifying men who won a total of 890 medals.”
‘“I’m not aware of that report” was @fionatwycross’ response. The report is entitled: “Violence against women and girls in sport.” Why isn’t she aware of it?’
Woods continued: “Fairness and safety SHOULD be the most important factors in sports. At ALL levels. Including and especially grass routes. This cannot keep happening.
‘Transgender people absolutely MUST have a place in sport, but NOT at the expense of safety or fairness for women. And it is not up to women to find that solution. These categories must be protected.’
Woods also became involved in boxing’s gender row when the Olympics took place in August, after Khelif and Lin went all the way to Paris to claim gold.
On the final day of Olympic competition, The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown published an article entitled: ‘Blinded by ideology: boxing row within that undermined the IOC and tarnished the Olympics’.
Woods’ original response to a Telegraph article in August sparked a mass debate in her comments section
Brown stated in the article that IOC President Thomas Bach had “failed in his duty to protect female athletes by allowing Khelif and Lin to win gold despite failed gender tests.”
A day after the article was published, Woods responded to a message from the author on
This comment sparked hundreds of responses to Woods, who then argued with several fans via the social media network.
Another comment addressed to Woods read: “Actually no, do some more research!” Woods hit back: “Which part?”
Another fan simply wrote, “Ewww,” to which Woods replied, “What’s eww, Jamie? Be more specific’.
One of the longer tweets aimed at Woods read: ‘Pretty poor – She had tests to prove her gender and she was born female. There is also no factual evidence that she failed the XY tests.”
Woods demanded more information, writing, “What tests were those and where is the proof of them?”
Two days later, Woods revealed that she had received death threats against her unborn baby online.
“Since responding to this article, I have received numerous death threats against myself and my unborn child,” Woods wrote. ‘Questions about my own gender (I’m pregnant, so that makes that clear) calls for my employers to fire me, threats to my home.
‘I have been called a racist, a bigot and a sexist, as well as various insults – ****, s**g etc.
Woods took to social media app X to share the abuse she suffered after breaking into the Olympic boxing gender row
“I have also been asked why I did not raise my concerns about this issue sooner? See above for your answer.
‘If there are discrepancies with the test results – which could impact the safety of another human being, in an environment that must above all be fair – questions will rightly be asked. The answers are still unclear, otherwise this topic would be closed.’
Despite the backlash she received last time, Woods has decided to once again express her strong views on transgender athletes in sports, insisting that women’s rights must be “protected.”
