Fiona de Londras

Fiona took on the challenge of advocating for abortion reform within the Republic of Ireland. This involved work ranging from advocacy and public education to drafting an influential model law. She wrote both academic and public-facing work and travelled across Ireland including appearances before the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament).

This work helped pave the way for the successful referendum in 2018, altering the Irish Constitution and the subsequent legislation to legalise abortion. Its significance was broad: not only did it end considerable suffering for people in Ireland who need abortions, but it proposed model trans-inclusive language within reproductive rights legislation.

What’s your connection to the University?

I am Professor of Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School, where I’ve worked since 2015. My work focuses on human rights and constitutionalism, with a particular focus on seeking to understand the ways in which human rights law shapes (or doesn’t shape) law and policy approaches to complex and sometimes contested issues like countering terrorism and regulating access to abortion.

Do you have any favourite sports? What do you like about them?

My favourite sports are golf and tennis, but as I don’t have the time to really devote to playing golf any more, my focus is on tennis. I love tennis because it is such a mentally demanding and technical sport that requires players to be able to adjust a basic set of shots and techniques to the bounce and movement of different surfaces (hard, grass, red clay, grey/green clay, and astroturf). It is also a lifelong sport that is open to people of any fitness level, especially as doubles is such an important part of social/club tennis play. Where I play, at the Edgbaston Priory Court, we have tennis players ranging in age from three years old to people in their 90s. It keeps one’s mind agile, body well, and patience tested.

While growing up, did you follow any particular sports stars?

When I was little watching tennis was very important to me, as it was the only place I saw openly gay women being successful and respected, even though there weren’t tennis courts nearby and I didn’t take it up until my mid-30s. As a child, I didn’t understand the sacrifices that women like Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King made in being openly gay; all I saw was that people like me could be successful and that was vital to my sense of self-worth. Now that I am older and play tennis as well as being a fan, I am pleased that professional tennis leads the way in the visibility and financial equality of women, all built on the activist foundations of the ‘Original 9’ players who took enormous personal and professional risks to found what is now the WTA tour. They also, very early on, made it clear that tennis was a welcoming place for trans and gender non-conforming players. When I was little I idolised Martina Navratilova and Conchita Martinez. Now my favourite players are Garbiñe Muguruza in singles and Samantha Stosur in doubles tennis. When it comes to golf I am a huge admirer of Irish golfers Leona Maguire and Shane Lowry, but I am disappointed that professional golf is not more vocal in support of LGBTQAI+ rights.

What are you most looking forward to during the Games?

After the last few years, I am most looking forward to the people of Birmingham being able to enjoy the atmosphere of live sport in large arenas and to people coming to the city and seeing all that is so good about Birmingham: green spaces, wonderful food, and passionate sports fans.

How does it feel to know your alma mater is hosting the Games?

One of the defining characteristics of the University is that it is a civic institution; it is and always was closely connected to the city and region in which it is located. However, like the city as a whole, the University has connections with ‘empire’ that are complex and challenging. One of our founders, Joseph Chamberlain, was both a social radical in Birmingham and a committed imperialist as Colonial Secretary. Similarly, the Commonwealth is an institution with complex relationships with colonialism and empire, but an institutional commitment in its Charter to the improvement of the lives of all people living within it through democracy, peace, prosperity and the rule of law. These shared commitments and complex histories are important, and in hosting the Games Birmingham and the University have an opportunity to continue our conversations and lived experiences of working these complexities out in a way that brings people together.

How does it feel to be selected as a batonbearer?

I am very honoured to have been nominated and selected as a batonbearer, especially in recognition of work that had its impact in a country (Ireland) that is not a Commonwealth member, but which was supported by the rich intellectual environment of which I am a part here.