Trans sports bans are ‘fearmongering’, says Marvel actor Zach Barack
The decision of several global sporting bodies to ban transgender women from elite contests stems from “fearmongering” about gender minorities, said Marvel Studios’ first openly trans actor, Zach Barack.
Barack, who made Marvel history by appearing in the studio’s 2019 film “Spider-Man: Far from Home”, was speaking after world bodies governing rugby league and swimming clamped down on trans participation in top-level events. “It’s fearmongering,” Barack, 26, said in a video call from his home in Los Angeles. “(The) push against trans people in sports further villainises them”.
Transgender rights have become a major talking point as sporting institutions seek to foster inclusivity while also ensuring that competitors do not have an unfair advantage.
The International Rugby League last week barred trans players from women’s international competition, days after swimming body FINA said trans athletes cannot compete in elite women’s contests if they went through male puberty.
