[W]hat if the thought of going swimming filled you with fear? If the
very idea of entering a changing room prevented you from exercising?
This fear of what should be a safe public space is something that
transgender and gender non-conforming people live with every day of
their lives.
One group of people is taking the fear out of swimming with the Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Swimming group (TAGS).[…]
Some swimmers join TAGS at the very beginning of their transition.
Some have never met other trans people, and have only felt safe
interacting with other trans people online.
TAGS
founder Roberta Francis describes the group as “a safe place to
socialise and swim.” But, it’s more than that. TAGS is a place where
members of the trans community can make friends, get support, build
confidence, and feel part of a community.
“It’s a big thing for a trans person to go to a swimming pool,” says
Francis. “When they go swimming, they ask themselves ‘what changing room
do I go into’; ‘will I be accepted in that changing room’; 'how do I
look’; 'do I pass.’”[…]
Megan Zoe Faulkner has been coming to the swimming group since its
beginnings in late 2014, when she was early on in her transition.
Faulkner recalls being met with an enormous amount of “warmth and
support” at the time of her joining; something, she says, that has
remained a constant during her time at the group.[…]
“It’s activism. It’s a different kind of activism than going on a march.
But, what we’re doing is changing lives. And, it’s helping people, and
making lives bigger and better,” says Faulkner.
New guidelines have been put in place to ensure trans people are not excluded from competing in the worldwide sporting competition.
The IOC have found: ‘To require surgical anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights.’
While bottom surgery is not a requirement, the IOC will ensure trans female athletes have the right levels of testosterone and hormones before they compete to protect fair competition. Trans female athletes, once declared female, cannot change their identity for sporting purposes for a minimum of four years. They may also be subject to hormone testing. If they do not comply, they could face banning from the sport for a year.
The guidelines say trans men can complete in male categories without restriction. Joanna Harper, a trans chief medical physicist, told Outsports the ‘new IOC transgender guidelines fix almost all of the deficiencies with the old rules’.
‘Hopefully, organizations will quickly adapt to the new IOC guidelines and all of the outdated trans policies will get replaced soon.’
While no Olympic athlete has ever come out as trans, it does open it up for athletes are open about their gender identity. Triathlete Chris Mosier, who is hoping to make Team USA at the Summer Olympics, could become the first trans athlete to benefit from the new guidelines.
[…] Renee Richards was a well-known doctor and a professional male tennis
player for many years. She transitioned fully in 1975 and began playing
tennis against other women. Her personal story is filled with a heavy
mixture of discrimination, heartache, determination and triumph. It’s so
compelling, in fact, that it was featured in a 2011 ESPN documentary
called simply, Renee. (If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.)
In 1976, Richards took a courageous step forward and brazenly entered
the U.S. Open to compete in the women’s bracket. But the United States
Tennis Association denied her entry because of a discriminatory
“women-born-women” policy. Richards fought the policy, and the New York
Supreme Court ruled in her favor.She was able to compete. It was a
groundbreaking decision and one that initiated the beginning of a long,
hard fight for transgender rights and policies that is still going on
today.
Richards continued to play professionally from 1977 to 1981. Her
greatest accomplishment on the tennis court was reaching the doubles
final in her first appearance in the U.S. Open—the one that she was
initially banned from playing in. Richards retired at the age of 47 and
went on to coach Martina Navratilova to two Wimbledon championships.
But
the most amazing thing about Richards’accomplishments is that she did
it all at a time when the language regarding transgender rights in
sports—and transgender rights in general—didn’t even exist. That took
guts. That took faith. And that took courage. […]
Organizers say the 22-kilometre race along the Ottawa River marked the first time that openly transgender athletes competed in rowing in Canada.
The team’s introduction to rowing was part of a pilot project at Toronto’s Hanlan Boat Club, which sought to attract transgender people to its Learn-to-Row program.
Anderson, 50, said she stayed away from sports for most of her life, wary of the discrimination that transgender athletes can face.[…]
“Finally participating in an activity that’s so welcoming,” she said. “I think I’m really lucky,” she says.
Back at the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club, Row Canada president Mike Walker and provincial cabinet ministers Madelaine Meilleur and Yasir Naqvi were on-hand to congratulate the Trans-FUSION team.
“I hope every single sport will see more trans athletes taking part and winning medals, not only here, but around the world,” Naqvi said.
