Thread by @KirstiMiller30

Pride Games is not just about celebrating Pride out on the sporting field!

Way before celebration of Pride there is an urgent need for all sports to develop programs & solutions to these problems to improve youth mental health, boost physical activity rates, & mitigate the negative influences of traditional gender norms.

Although there has been more progress on the issue of homophobia in sport, there was a LOT more work to be done on issues affecting trans people. Trans athletes in sport are being attacked by the likes of Trump even our PM @ScottMorrisonMP called us heavy handed in cricket.

One of the first challenges for administrators is to differentiate the term homophobic from transphobic.

Broadly:

Homophobia is vilifying someone on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Transphobia is vilifying someone on the basis of their gender identity.

Transphobia is usually associated with the umbrella term ‘transgender’, which refers to a person whose psychological self (gender identity) is different from their physical sex as recorded at birth.

If sports clubs are to welcome people of all genders, including transgender people, then issues of discrimination and equal access to facilities and services need to be addressed.

Many sports administrators may only become aware when a crisis arises, such as conflict over a transitioning woman using the women’s toilet, or a transitioning man looking to play in a men’s team.

These issues don’t just affect sports administrators,they also have an unnecessarily negative impact on the lives of transgender people.

In fact, access to change rooms and sporting competition were the two major issues raised by transgender people who took part in a research conducted by the Equality Network on behalf of Scottish sport.

Beyond the policy and facility issues, survey respondents also highlighted their lack of confidence as a barrier to sports participation.

‘There is a fear. You don’t know till you’ve come out whether or not people will have a problem,’ one transgender woman said.

Another respondent commented: ‘I was so badly burned by the experience [I had] in sport I would have to have a great deal of support and encouragement to even consider getting back into any sport, as the abuse I received dehumanised. I could never court that feeling again’

Part of the reason we don’t see these issues all the time is that the barriers are currently so large that there just aren’t many transgender people participating in sport approx 14% the lowest participation rate of any group of people on this planet.

We need to start thinking about these issues so that we can find ways to solve this problem, making sports more inclusive is a win for everybody.

Global sport is still at the very beginning of a conversation around transphobia in sport — a conversation that has started to happen alongside discussions of homophobia, but that also has to happen ’separately’.

The issues faced by transgender participants include systemic policy-based issues that simply don’t exist in the same way for gay and lesbian participants. Different strategies are necessary to deal effectively with these.

We have got a useful anti-discrimination legislative framework at the moment. What we now need to do is to try to open up a space to engage with people about what their fears or concerns are about including transgender people, and to provide reassurance and..

..encouragement to everyone that addressing the current barriers is a necessary part of making sport fair, inclusive and for everyone.

Proactive sports administrators should educate themselves on transgender issues, seek an understanding of the legal responsibilities they have around inclusion, and be mindful of modelling respectful ways of engaging with transgender participants.

If that all sounds a bit overwhelming, then the Australian Human Rights Commission, &
@sportaustralia
has laid much of the groundwork with its publication Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport (2019).

humanrights.gov.au/our-work/lgbti…

The Guidelines provide:

information about the operation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (the Act) in relation to:
unlawful and permissible discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity
sexual harassment
victimisation.

practical guidance for promoting inclusion in line with fundamental human rights-based principles:
equality
participation in sport
freedom from discrimination and harassment
privacy.

Sporting organisations should ensure they are familiar with sections 5 & 6 of the Guidelines which outline how inclusion can be promoted through:
Leadership
inclusion policies
codes of conduct
uniforms
facilities
approaches to the collection and use of personal information.

Sporting organisations may also wish to consider the guidance published by the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission.

Beyond simply an examination of the legal issues around transgender inclusion, the guide debunks myths and stereotypes; defines transgender terms; provides advice on speaking with a transgender person to gain more information and understanding to help the transgender person..

...participate; and provides case studies, policy and practice examples and decision-making flowcharts.

Being more inclusive will lead to a wider, more diverse membership, which could result in increased income, and a more sustainable sports club in the long term.

TOP 10 TIPS FOR INCLUSIVE SPORT.

1. Get support and involve senior coaches and managers.
2. Use gender neutral language and avoid stereotypes about what is
masculine or feminine behaviour.

3. Always challenge language, behaviour or ‘banter’ that is offensive to lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.
4. Make sure it’s as unacceptable as other types of behaviour, like racism or religious intolerance, and communicate this to members and parents.

5. Be approachable as a club and make the effort to find out more about local organisations and groups that offer support to LGBT young people or adults.

6. Challenge positively. Use questions and explain why and how someone’s words and actions have an impact.

7. Work with club members to create a set of values that includes respect for everyone.
8. Make LGBT issues more visible – use Stonewall’s posters and run campaigns like Rainbow Laces.

9. Offer mixed teams and exercises where possible.

10. Be confident and positive about making sport open to everyone – mistakes may be made along the way, but remember you’re going in the right direction. ✌️