The good things are finally pouring for gender diverse sports persons. Positive steps by sporting bodies are helping transgender and gender diverse people participate in competitive sports.

Vishal Uppal explores the gender identity/expression issues and how anti-discrimination policies are breaking stereotyping, and discrimination based on gender identity.

The August brought good news for transgender and gender diverse cricketers when Cricket Australia announced its inclusivity policy. An Elite Cricket Policy and Guidelines for Community Cricket will facilitate support for players who elect to participate in cricket in line with their gender identity. It excludes the criteria of identification of sex at the time of birth.

The one positive step will help create the inclusive environment that will be free from gender stereotyping, harassment and discrimination for gender nonconforming players at entry level. Such measures also sensitize players, coaches, volunteers and support staff to forego biases based on gender identity.

A similar step was taken by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of USA in 2011. The association adopted bylaws to accommodate transgendered athletes. The eligibility criteria for participation were made simpler. However, the complications are still there for athletes using the hormones. An athlete on hormone has to take medical clearance and NCAA approval before being allowed to compete. So if an athlete is on testosterone regimen then discrimination is still there as complexity is there for female-to-male (FTM) athlete to be included in female category or male category. It will take time when we may see a category for athletes under sex transition.

The eligibility requirements adopted by international and local athletic foundations are the same.  The sportsperson who is legally and hormonally female is allowed to compete in women’s events. A trans-woman is allowed to compete as female athlete after one year of beginning testosterone suppression treatment. The evolution of eligibility criteria will see transformation as complex issues will surface for consideration and resolution.

As anti-discrimination policies to accommodate transgendered people by employers and government bodies are coming to force, we will see a trickle-down effect in all sports governing bodies and acceptance will come for their inclusion in common shower areas, changing areas and toilet areas.

There is great deal of acceptance that needs to come from public for LGBTQ sports persons. I strongly believe that sport is one of the disciplines that will widen the acceptance of gender diverse and people with different sexual preference in other spheres. 

There have been notable transgender and LGBTQ people in sports.

You can explore the list at

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_people_in_sports

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_sportspeople

The transgender and gender diverse sports persons are equally strong and equipped. They are participating in every sport from professional golfing to professional boxing. Most of us know about Renee Richards who coached Martina Navratilova in Tennis or Fallon Fox who displayed her mettle in mixed martial arts. Heidi Krieger who was a shot putter from East Germany competed as woman and later transitioned to man as she was given too much steroids by her coaches without her knowledge. Sometimes, things are accidental but inclusive anti-discriminatory policies can help gender diverse players compete on equal footing with regular players.

Image Attribution:  Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1986-0826-036 / Thieme, Wolfgang / CC-BY-SA 3.0