Trans Connect-ing Youth in Sport

Existing research suggests that sport is a dynamic environment that can be joyous for many but traumatizing for sexual and gender minorities. Many news stories have criticized the fairness of transgender (trans) women in sport, and some American transgender athletes have become household names due to unnecessary scrutiny by media and governing sport bodies. Many Canadians think that Canada does not share these transphobic values, but Canadian views are rapidly catching up to US anti-trans sentiments, and clever, misleading messaging projecting a human rights slant obscures what is, in actuality, transphobia. Non-binary people in Canada are asking for policies to protect them in sport. While policies have been created to help include and protect transgender participants, non-binary people have been continuously left out.

Our project aims to help fill this gap. With Nicola Hare from Trans Connect (a health and community program supporting transgender, two spirit, intersex, and gender diverse people in the East and West Kootenay regions) we will host two in-person sessions for youth to come together to discuss topics such as: proportions of youth who have or have not participated in organized team sport in Canada, the potential and current barriers to participation, threats to participants’ safety in these settings, where participants have felt the need to change their gender expression, and where they have experienced abuse.

We have seen the desire from local policy makers to receive help in navigating this area and learn about best practices. With Trans Connect, we hope that through our project and the production of our resources, schools and sport organizations across Canada will be able to incorporate our suggestions and help make their recreation and athletics departments safer for all.

Community Partners:

• Nicola Hare – ANKORS Trans Connect