Lancaster University Student’s Union VP Activities, Jack Walker, has recently been working alongside Lancaster’s Women’s Pool Captain, Aro Nugawela, and at team in York Sports Committee in order to address inconsistencies in the BUCS’ transgender policy.
The recently revised policy states that BUCS strives to ensure that everyone who wishes to be involved with their programme of competitive sport are able to take part, without any discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. However, as BUCS does not hold expertise in each sport, they also recommend that where issues arise regarding transgender students’ eligibility, that the policy of the respective sport’s national governing body should be adopted.
Walker, along with Nugawela, and the representatives from the York Sports Committee have agreed to take the spirit of the BUCS policy and ignore the English Pool Association – the body which the responsibility for BUCS eligibility is deferred to – guidelines. The outcome of this is that a student who is not allowed to play in BUCS pool based on how they self-define will be allowed to compete in Roses as their identified gender.
After a request from Lancaster’s Women’s Darts Captain, Liz Rising, Darts will also be using the BUCS policy.
Walker spoke to SCAN and told said that he thinks that it is “great that even though there is fierce rivalry between us and york we are able to put that aside when it comes to making the event as inclusive as possible.”
He continued: “It’s also fantastic to be able to use Roses as a platform to make an example of where BUCS and other governing bodies have inadequate or less progressive policy.”
