Mahigit 40 taon nang nagbibigay ng ligtas na espasyo ang Flying Bats Football Club sa LGBTIQ+ community. Ngunit ngayon, target sila ng maling impormasyon at pag-atake kaugnay ng mga transgender athlete.
Itinatag ang Flying Bats Football Club noong 1985 ng isang grupo ng magkakaibigan sa Sydney.
Sinabi ni Alison Todd, isa sa mga nagtatag ng Flying Bats Football Club, sa SBS Examines na itinatag nila ang koponan "for community, friendship, health, just to have a bit of fun together."
"It was predominantly lesbians, but it was never exclusive. Everybody was welcome."
Ngayon, kinikilala na ang Flying Bats bilang pinakamalaki at pinakamatagal nang LGBTIQ+ football club sa mundo para sa kababaihan at mga non-binary.
Ayon kay Club President Sam Lewis, nagbigay ang club ng isang ligtas at inklusibong espasyo, isang bagay na hindi niya naranasan noong bata pa siya at nagsisimulang maglaro ng football.
"My whole experience at the Bats has just been about that sense of freedom and comfort to really be all that I can be, and not have to hide those parts of myself that I used to hide because I was so afraid that the people around me wouldn't accept me."
Ngunit naging sentro rin ng kontrobersiya ang koponan dahil sa pagsasama nito ng mga transgender at gender-diverse na manlalaro.
Ayon kay Sam nagsimula ang panghuhusga dahil sa "a lot of misunderstanding and stereotypes and assumptions about who trans women are, and how they play sport, and what that looks like and how that impacts other people."
"We've been monitored and filmed, and had players and coaches yelling out transphobic and homophobic slurs to us.
"All this stuff has been the result of misinformation that has ended up crystallising in someone's head."
Sa episode na ito ng SBS Examines, mapapakinggan natin ang kuwento ng isang koponang buong pagmamalaking isinusulong ang pagiging inklusibo sa community sports.
Ang episode na ito ay ginawa sa pakikipagtulungan sa Beautiful Game Changers series.
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