First Minister Michelle O’Neill rules out answering questions about men in women’s sport

Watch First Minister Michelle O’Neill rules out answering questions about men in women’s sport - News Letter on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00I welcome the strategy which aims to protect women and young girls from violence. Today's

00:09society poses many real threats to women and young girls, including from those biological

00:16males who masquerade as females. So can I ask the First Minister, does she share my

00:23concerns and indeed the concerns of many women in our community and the common sense view

00:30that biological men should not be able to compete in female sport and that female safe

00:36spaces, particularly female changing rooms, should never be accessible to biological males,

00:42no ifs or no buts?

00:44Look, I'm not going down this route. What I will say is that our strategy, which you've

00:50asked me a question in relation to, is very much about ending violence against all women

00:54in society. It's not focused on perpetrators, it's focused on ending violence against women

00:59who receive or are owed to receive an end of this violence. I'm not taking you up on

01:04going down a one-way street of trying to marginalise one section of the community over the other.

01:07I don't think that is helpful. I'm all about protection for women. I don't think there's

01:11anybody in this chamber that isn't.

01:13Cathy Mason.

01:15I'm from Cornwall, Cairn Corlea, and I thank the First Minister for her answer.

01:19Thank you, Mr Speaker. Further to Mr Buckley's supplementary question and the known answer

01:25that he got, what is the First Minister's take on a biological man beating up a woman

01:31in the boxing ring because he claims to be a woman?

01:34First Minister.

01:35Not related to the question, and I told you I'm not playing your game. I've told you this

01:39on every occasion you ask me, and every time you ask me the question, I'm going to give

01:42you the same answer.

01:44Ms McAllister.