Collateral Damage From Anti-Transgender US Legislation: Perspectives From a Transgender Student-Athlete

Abstract

A number of anti-transgender bills were proposed in the United States during the first half of 2021, with several becoming laws. The passing of these bills has made it increasingly difficult for trans people to gain access to lifesaving, gender-affirming healthcare and to participate in sport based on their gender identity rather than their sex assignment at birth. In light of these new laws, sport organizations such as the NCAA have made statements promising to support trans athletes. While these statements may promote awareness, in order for trans athletes to compete safely and openly throughout their collegiate careers, the NCAA must create policies and implement effective practices centred around trans inclusion. In this chapter, I (Estel, they/he) share my journey as a transgender student-athlete at an NCAA Division I university during the Spring 2021 season. During my collegiate athletic career, I felt both grateful for the chance to row and fear and frustration due to discrimination. Through memory work and participant case analysis, my co-author and I outline the ways that transphobic myths may have influenced my interactions with administrators, coaches and athletes throughout my collegiate athletic career and negatively impacted my wellbeing and performance. We also identify specific ways in which NCAA policies on trans inclusion are outdated and do not align with their expressed commitment to the well-being of trans student-athletes; we provide recommendations for changes to these policies. Further, we recommend trans-inclusive practices NCAA member institutions can implement to create an inclusive and empowering sports environment.

Citation

Noguer, E.B. and Larsen, L.K. (2023), "Collateral Damage From Anti-Transgender US Legislation: Perspectives From a Transgender Student-Athlete", Greey, A.D. and Lenskyj, H.J. (Ed.) Trans Athletes’ Resistance (Emerald Studies in Sport and Gender), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 87-99. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-363-820231007