The OutField
Transitioning athletes
“It Takes a Team” is the apt name of a national educational and advocacy institute addressing LGBT issues in sport.
All too often, however, the “T” has been missing from teams – sports teams and It Takes a Team.
That’s starting to change.
Trans athletes are raising their voices – and demanding to be heard – on sports teams across the country. As is true with many things LGBT, the young are leading this call for change.
“We’re seeing a definite increase in trans students in general,” says Pat Griffin, a writer, professor emerita in the social justice education program at the University of Massachusetts, and director of the It Takes a Team campaign (part of the Women’s Sports Foundation).
“A lot more people are identifying as trans or gender queer, and they’re doing it earlier. Schools are struggling to address that issue. It makes sense that some of those students want to play sports – and are.”
Recently, It Takes a Team initiated a Think Talk. The goal is to make policy recommendations to schools, administrators and coaches. “We want to be proactive around trans issues – not reactive,” Griffin says.
Sport, she notes, is one of the most gendered segments of society.
“We have men’s teams, and we have women’s teams. It’s a binary system. But that doesn’t represent everyone’s experiences. There’s a dilemma when a student does not identify as one gender or the other.”
A few sports organizations have developed policies. The International Olympic Committee was one of the first; groups like the United States Golf Association and USA Track and Field adopted similar guidelines. The Federation of Gay Games and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network followed suit.
One problem, Griffin says, is that groups like the IOC require reassignment surgery before allowing an athlete to compete as another gender. “That’s not an option for high school kids,” she notes. “And it’s not a good idea at that age.”
Surgery is less an indicator of gender than testosterone level, she says. Testosterone affects performance. But, she adds, it’s not the only indicator. “We already have a huge range of performances among girls and women, and among boys and men.”
Another problem: The IOC mandates a two-year waiting period before competing as another gender. “That’s a long time – especially in high school and college,” says Griffin.
Take the example of Keelin Godsey, an high-level hammer thrower. “Keelin is a female-bodied man who has chosen not to transition,” says Griffin. Keelin – who identifies as a man, but has not transitioned – competed on the women’s team at Bates College.
That required accommodations, and educating teammates, coaches and opponents about trans issues. “Teammates and coaches were great,” Griffin said. “But there’s been discrimination at the sports’ elite levels.”
Though all the examples Griffin knows are female-to-male, she knows there are MTF trans athletes in high schools and colleges. Her message is simple: Schools need to prepare.
The It Takes a Team initiative began a few years ago, with a conference call involving Griffin; Helen Carroll, sports project director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and representatives of the NCAA, USGA and USA Track and Field.
“Neither Helen nor I are experts on trans issues,” Griffin admits. “They’re different from LGB issues, although there are overlaps that come from misunderstandings. But we wanted to involve legal, medical and child development experts, along with people from the NCAA, the National Federation of State High School Association, and trans athletes themselves, so we could start thinking about the best way to move forward.
“The guiding principles are that participation in athletics is valuable for all students – and that trans athletes should not be denied that opportunity.”
Any rules regarding participation should be based on “sound evidence,” Griffin says – not “misunderstandings, misconceptions or myths.
Over two days in October, three dozen people met in Indianapolis. Griffin and Carroll are evaluating their insights. This spring, the two women will report back to the NCLR and Women’s Sports Foundation, and seek comments on their recommendations.
Going into this fall’s meeting, Griffin says, “The biggest fear was that it would be too hard to agree – that trans issues are too complicated. But we’re really excited. We made a lot of progress, and had a lot of consensus.
“There was great energy, and a lot of knowledge and passion in the room. We got a good sense of what could happen. And each person made a commitment to do what they could, individually and within their organization.”
For more information on It Takes a Team and its advocacy for trans issues, visit www.ittakesateam.org.
By Dan Woog
Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes. Visit his Web site at www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@qsyndicate.com.
