Vic rules boost for transgender sport

Victorian sporting clubs will no longer have to rely on international Olympic guidelines to boost transgender participation in sport.

The myths surrounding participation of gay, lesbian and transgender community members in sport have been dispelled with the launch of a new set of Victorian guidelines to promote equal opportunity inclusion.

"There's a lot of myths around transgender people in sport," Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Kate Jenkins said launching the guidelines at the Team Melbourne sports open day on Saturday.

"Thinking that someone might decide to transition to become a woman just so they can get a competitive advantage in sport, or that they automatically do is a narrative out there that is completely false."

Ms Jenkins said local level sporting clubs trying to do the right thing had previously been forced to turn to international Olympic standards for policies on social inclusion.

"We just thought that was a bit over the top," she said.

The guidelines have been developed to help sporting clubs and individuals understand discrimination laws and their rights, and to clarify when exceptions to discrimination laws apply.

Team Melbourne, the umbrella organisation for clubs and individuals involved in Melbourne's transgender sports scene, hosted its fourth sports open day on Saturday, attracting more than 300 participants.