The Trans Gaelic Football player that was at the centre of a social media storm has broken her silence for the first time since the incident.
Giulia Valentino found herself front and centre of a vicious social media debate after pictures emerged of her playing in a Ladies Gaelic Football Championship match.
Valentino currently plays for the GAA's first openly LGBT Club, Na Gaeil Aeracha and the club recently captured their first bit of silverware as they beat the Na Fianna Ladies E team to win the Dublin Junior J Shield.
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But the victory was marred by a social media campaign with images of Valentino and false reports that she had racked up a 2-09 tally in the final.
And the Italian has broken her silence for the first time since the event in an interview with the Guardian.
The final took place five weeks ago and before throw-in an issue was raised over Valentino's entitlement to play on a Ladies team.
Valentino would continue to play the game with the referee saying that that Na Fianna would have the right to appeal the player's eligibility if they decided to.
Na Gaeil Aeracha went on to win the game 7-11 to 1-05 and Na Fianna did not appeal Valentino's eligibility and, instead, accepted the result
But after the game began a social media campaign with images of Valentino circulating from the club's semi-final win against Ballyboden and false reports claiming that she netted 2-09 in the final despite being scoreless.
She said: “There was a lot of misinformation. They said I had scored two goals and nine points. I didn’t score anything. My position is half-back and I’m not such a good player
“A lot of the misinformation was clearly intentional; they wanted to give the public a specific angle. This is the well-known toxic narrative against trans people we know so well"
And Valentino has dismissed her physical advantages, saying five years of hormone therapy complies with Olympic committee regulations for testosterone levels.
“I’m not capable of doing things that I could before. There is no way to consider me an outstanding performer or unfair competitor or a safety risk. If anything, my injuries show it’s the other way round."
After the fall out of the Shield Final, the LGFA has said it is in the process of developing a strategy for Transgender players and in a statement said it is “currently working in consultation with our counterparts in the GAA, and from other sporting organisations, in relation to developing policy in this area”
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