Right now in Iowa, there’s a coach torn up about the conversation he has to have to have with a girl on his team. Maybe he emails her parents first to talk about how. He asks if the athlete has access to mental health care, if they have a safety plan for their daughter. 1/
Together they work out a plan to sit her down and explain to this 7th grader why she is off the team and why even mom & dad can’t fix it. They know she will cry. They know she will be angry. What they hope is that she doesn’t sink into depression or harm herself. 2/
The coach thinks about the day she joined the team. Awkward and brave. Inexperienced but a fast learner. He admits to himself that he wasn’t sure at first how she’d fit in but that her own teammates taught him more about acceptance than he’d learned in 100 hours of training. 3/
They cheered for her. They pushed her. They laughed with her and helped her fix her hair just right. And that’s the other conversation he’s dreading. Telling her teammates. Fifteen pairs of eyes on him. Watching how he responds. Looking for understanding and reassurance. 4/
I don’t know how many trans girls are playing sports in Iowa now or how many planned to go out for track, golf, softball or fall sports but each one deserved better than this from our state. I’m heartbroken for conversations about to happen with athletes, families, coaches. 5/
Im standing in solidarity with every trans Iowan, their families, their teammates and their coaches. Sending my love & support 🏳️⚧️
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