Inclusion of Transgender Student-Athletes

ECAC-SIDA Workshop June 3-6, 2014 Troy, N.Y.

Paul Blascovich Sarah Lawrence College pblascovich@sarahlawrence.edu

Why Does It Matter?

- Its about equal opportunity. All of our student-athletes deserve the right to compete based on athletic ability.
[The NCAAs] core values demand that educational leaders adopt thoughtful and effective policies that
enable all students to participate fully in intercollegiate athletics programs.

- Its about the law. Transgender individuals have won major battles to gain legal recognition in the United States.
As more states, localities, and schools add gender identity and expression to their nondiscrimination
policies, and as more courts hold that sex discrimination laws protect transgender people, transgender
students and their parents are increasingly empowered to insist that athletics programs accommodate
transgender students.
- Its about identity. Imagine living in a world where people refer to you by an incorrect name or gender.
Gender identity is a core aspect of a persons identity, and it is just as deep seated, authentic,
and real for a transgender person as for others.
--NCAA Inclusion of Transgender Student-Athletes

Three Steps for Any SID

Use Preferred Names

Every sports-information department collects information using

some kind of biographical forms. In addition to asking for
Name, add an optional field for Preferred First Name. Use
the preferred name on all official rosters, stats, etc.
Obviously, you ignore the football player who wants to be called
Crusher, but you may learn that Jessica prefers to be called
Jessie or that Patrick goes by Patty.

Use Preferred Pronouns

At SLC, every student-athlete is asked whether they prefer male,

female or neutral references. This isnt practical for every school,
but if youre approached by a coach or student, you should be
willing to accommodate.
If you arent comfortable with trans-gender pronouns, you can
accommodate by re-writing your sentence without any pronouns
at all. This is the easiest way to avoid calling public attention to
what is likely a sensitive situation.

Respect Privacy

The media dont need to know every detail about your students.
With the athletes permission, you may want to inform your
conference, opponents or beat writers about gender preferences,
but you dont need to explain why.
Set a precedent by referring to the student-athlete appropriately in
your own writing. If a media member doesnt comply, discuss the
matter with the coach or athlete first. Dont make it an issue if the
student would rather keep the matter private.

It is imperative that administrators and coaches

provide a safe and inclusive environment
so that all student-athletes can participate
and achieve success.
--Lori Priest, former AD, Mount Holyoke College

The NCAA Policy (in short)

A trans male (female-to-male) student-athlete may compete on
either a womens or mens/mixed team, but is no longer eligible
to compete on a womens team if receiving testosterone.
A trans female (male-to-female) student-athlete may continue
to compete on a mens/mixed team [indefinitely] but may not
compete on a womens team until completing one calendar year
of testosterone suppression treatment.
NOTE: A mixed (coed) team is considered to be a mens team
for most practical purposes, such as NCAA championships,
sports sponsorship, countable opponents, etc.

Youre Not Alone

Work openly with LGBTQ groups on campus and in your
area. The resources you need are there. When you dont know
something, dont guess; ask!
The NCAA has published a handbook called Inclusion of
Transgender Student-Athletes. It contains best-practices and
policy guidelines.

I dont know which is worse, assuming that all transgender people are straight or that all transgender
people must have surgery or take hormones to complete the transition. Life is a transition.
We all transition. Not just transgender people. Remember that. -- Kye Allums, GWU student-athlete

Communicating Effectively
Transgender does not mean gay.
Being transgender also does not mean
that an individual will have a sex-change
operation.
Sex (man or woman) is NOT the same
as gender (male or female). Sex is
defined anatomically, while gender is
not. Neither is truly binary.
Transgender, transsexual, bigender,
genderqueer, etc., all have different
meanings. There are no firm
definitions, and you should never
assume that someone identifies with a
particular group.
Learning the differences will help
you communicate respectfully and
effectively.

Sex: biological status

You were probably born a man or woman, but some individuals are neither. Intersex
describes a person born with anatomy that doesnt seem to fit either typical definition. A
transsexual individual may transition but may or may not consider themself transgender.
Gender: attitudes that a culture associates with biological sex
In America, we typically consider all individuals to be male or female; however,
Australia (June 2013) and India (April 2014) have both granted legal rights to
individuals who are considered to be neither male nor female [genderqueer or third gender].
Gender identity: ones sense of oneself
A transgender individual is someone who identifies as not matching ones sex, whereas
someone who is cisgender (pejoratively, heteronormative) identifies as matching ones
sex. An individual may self identify as transgender, cisgender, neither or both.
Gender expression: an outward behavior or appearance
We can all imagine a masculine female or a feminine male. Behavior or appearance is
independent of sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. A transvestite man may dress
and live as a woman but consider himself to be male.
Orientation: the sex of those to whom one is sexually and romantically attracted
Orientation is completely independent of gender identity or gender expression.

We, as a culture, have a hard time trying to understand the

difference between a drag queen, transsexual, and a transgender,
yet we find it very easy to know the difference between the
American baseball league and the National baseball league. -- RuPaul

Nearly 97% of transgender individuals

report employment mistreatment and
more than 40% have attempted suicide.
Be An Ally
If your school does not have an inclusive non-discrimination and
harassment policy, work with administrators to adopt a policy that
includes gender identity and expression.
Become knowledgeable about collegiate non-discrimination and
harassment policies that include gender identity and expression.
Educate yourself about transgender identity, terminology, and
current scientific perspectives on the participation of transgender
student-athletes on mens and womens sports teams.
Educate members of your sports information department about
transgender identity, terminology, policies governing participation,
and confidentiality requirements when discussing transgender
student-athlete participation with the media.

Gender Neutral Writing

Gender identity is an intrinsic part of our occupation. We need
pronouns to distinguish the mens soccer team from the
womens soccer team. Still, some references can be avoided.
Student-athletes may request gender neutrality, regardless of
whether or not they identify as transgender.
Neutral pronouns (zhe, hir) are far from commonplace, but a
skilled writer can mask gender by rewording. Its not always
elegant, but protects your athletes privacy and comfort.
Smith leads the team in innings pitched and strikeouts. In her
conference debut, she threw a five-hit shutout, striking out six.
In Smiths conference debut, the native of Troy, N.Y., struck out
six in a five-hit shutout. The junior now leads the team in innings
pitched and strikeouts.
Sarah Lawrence College has officially approved they as a lastoption replacement for a neutral singular pronoun. We honor two
Athletes of the Year instead of a Man or Woman of the year.

Case Studies
Every student-athlete is different. The NCAA and other organizations have best practices, but every case requires individual consideration. These are not meant to be good (or bad) examples. Rather, they are intended to
foster discussion about the many facets of inclusion that should be considered.

Case No. 1 - Kye Allums

Kye Allums is considered to be the first transgender student-athlete to play Division I womens basketball. The
Minnesota native played two seasons as Kay-Kay Allums before publicly announcing that he was a transgender
player and wanted to be referred to as Kye and by male pronouns.
Statement from Robert Chernak, Senior Vice Provost and Senior Vice President:
Student-athlete Kye Allums has decided to live as a male student and be referred to as a male. The George
Washington University supports Kye and his right to make this decision. Kye has informed the university that
he will not begin any medical or drug protocols while a student-athlete. The University consulted the NCAA
regarding his competitive status. Kye will continue to be a member of the womens basketball team. Kye has
informed his teammates, and the university, with Kyes consent, has informed athletics staff and others, as appropriate.
Statement from Mike Bozeman, Womens Basketball Head Coach:
The George Washington University womens basketball program, including myself, support Kyes right to
make this decision.
Statement from junior Kye Allums, male member of George Washingtons womens basketball team:
GW has been supportive during this transition. This means a lot. I didnt choose to be born in this body and
feel the way I do. I decided to transition, that is change my name and pronouns because it bothered me
to hide who I am, and I am trying to help myself and others to be who they are. I told my teammates first, and
they, including my coaches, have supported me. My teammates have embraced me as the big brother of the
team. They have been my family, and I love them all.
After sustaining two concussions and playing only eight games as a junior, Kye did not play as a senior.
In an interview in 2014, Kye revealed that he wanted to kill [himself] after ESPNs feature story revealed
pictures from his youth, his original name, and other personal details about his childhood.
Suicide is so prevalent in the trans community, Allums told HuffPost Live. 41 percent of people in the trans
community have attempted suicide - I was one of them. That was all because of someone who didnt take the
time to listen to what I said - who didnt care, who didnt value me as a person and who just saw me as, Oh,
youre just this story.
What was good about how this example? What could have been done differently?
What might have happened if Kye did not give consent to share his details publicly?
How did Kyes status as a Division I student-athlete impact the situation?

Case Studies
Every student-athlete is different. The NCAA and other organizations have best practices, but every case requires individual consideration. These are not meant to be good (or bad) examples. Rather, they are intended to
foster discussion about the many facets of inclusion that should be considered.

Case No. 2 - All-Womens Colleges

Dozens of students protested at Smith College in April due to what they say is the womens schools refusal to
make its admissions process more inclusive for transgender women.
The Northampton, Mass., school came under fire last spring for its admissions policy after Calliope Wong, a
transgender woman, was rejected because a federal student aid form identified her as male, even though she
identifies as female.
Smith has told her it cannot process her admission application as a female because the gender markers on her
forms conflict.
Someone whose paperwork consistently reflects female identity will be considered for admission, said Laurie
Fenlason, Smiths vice president for public affairs.
How does Smith decide who is a woman?
It doesnt. With regard to admission, Smith relies upon the information provided by each student applicant.
What documents are part of Smiths admission process?
Similar to hundreds of colleges and universities, Smith uses the Common Application, an official copy of the
high school transcript, a midyear academic report, and recommendations from two teachers and one counselor.
An admission interview is optional, as are standardized test scores (for U.S. students). Smith does not ask for a
birth certificate, passport, drivers license, nor any state-issued official document.
In Ms. Wongs case, the rejection letter reads, Your FAFSA indicates your gender as male. Therefore, Smith
cannot process your application. According to Ms. Wong, a representative of the Department of Education
noted that the self-reported sex indicator on the FAFSA application is used to confirm that a loan applicant has
registered with the Selective Service, if necessary.
In March 2013, Simmons College (Boston) presented an offer of admission to Ms. Alex Sennello. The acceptance letter included a $20k scholarship awarded for her work in photography and activism in the trans* community.
What legal challenges could be in play?
How might you defend Smiths decision to exclude this applicant?
What might it feel like to be Ms. Wong?
As a member of your schools P.R. team, how might you make an impact, intentionally or inadvertently?

Case Studies
Every student-athlete is different. The NCAA and other organizations have best practices, but every case requires individual consideration. These are not meant to be good (or bad) examples. Rather, they are intended to
foster discussion about the many facets of inclusion that should be considered.

Case No. 3 - High School Sports

In February 2014, the VIRGINIA High School League passed the following policy:
VHSL rules and regulations allow transgender student-athlete participation under the following conditions:
A. A student-athlete will compete in the gender of their birth certificate unless they have

undergone sex reassignment.
B. A student-athlete who has undergone sex reassignment is eligible to compete in the reassigned gender when:

The student-athlete has undergone sex reassignment before puberty, OR

The student-athlete has undergone sex reassignment after puberty under all of the following conditions:

1. Surgical anatomical changes have been completed, including external genitalia changes and
gonadectomy.

2. Hormonal therapy appropriate for the assigned sex has been administered in a verifiable manner and

for a sufficient length of time to minimize gender-related advantages in sports competition.

3. If a student-athlete stops taking hormonal treatment, they will be required to participate in the sport

consistent with their birth gender.
C. A student-athlete seeking to participate as a result of sex reassignment must access the VHSL

eligibility appeals process.
In August 2013, the CALIFORNIA state legislature passed Assembly Bill No. 1266, which would require that
a pupil be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and
competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the
pupils records.
221.5. (a) It is the policy of the state that elementary and secondary school classes and courses, including nonacademic and elective classes and courses, be conducted, without regard to the sex of the pupil enrolled in these
classes and courses.
...
(f) A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic
teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender
listed on the pupils records.
What parts of the policies seem fair?
What parts of the policies seem unfair or impractical?

Case Studies
Every student-athlete is different. The NCAA and other organizations have best practices, but every case requires individual consideration. These are not meant to be good (or bad) examples. Rather, they are intended to
foster discussion about the many facets of inclusion that should be considered.

Case No. 4 - Sarah Lawrence College

A swimming student-athlete is considering beginning testosterone treatment. He has previously competed as a
woman, but the NCAA policy would disqualify him from womans competition if he begins hormone treatment.
The matter is complicated by sport rules which govern the style of swimsuit permitted in mens and womens
competition. Specifically, athletes in mens races are not permitted to wear a suit that extends above the navel.
SLC is taking the following action:
- The student-athlete is currently being permitted to race in either mens or womens competition at will.
- If testosterone supplement treatment commences, he will only be permitted to swim in mens competition.
- Regardless of his decision, a playing-rules waiver is being requested so that, if necessary, he may wear a
womans swimsuit in mens competition. This waiver will be in place whether or not he elects to swim in a
mens competition.
- SLC will not need to redefine either program as a mixed team.