These resources have been curated by Micah Porter, an educator and LGBTQ+ sports advocate, in conjunction with the Sports Equality Foundation and Outsports.
How to best provide athletic opportunities for trans student-athletes is one of the hottest topics in the United States today, and that isn’t going to change any time soon.
At the heart of it all is the welfare of trans youth. As various statewide policies have opened up opportunities for trans athletes to participate on high school teams of their gender, many have opted to join teammates in running, swimming, kicking, shooting and every other activity central to the student-athlete experience.
As policies continue to shift and evolve, we’ve put together a list of resources for coaches and administrators to understand the issues involving trans athletes, things to consider, and ways to better understand the experiences of trans athletes and their teammates and opponents.
GLSEN’s “On The Team: Equal Opportunity For Transgender Student Athletes”
The purpose of this report is to provide guidance to high school and collegiate athletic programs about how to ensure transgender student athletes fair, respectful, and legal access to school sports teams. Specific best practice recommendations are provided for athletic administrators, coaches, student athletes, parents, and the media.
TransAthlete.com
Transathlete.com is a resource for students, athletes, coaches, and administrators to find information about trans inclusion in athletics at various levels of play. This site pulls together existing information in one central location, and breaks down information into easy-to-reference areas to help find the resources needed.
Center for American Progress, Fair Play: The Importance of Sports Participation for Transgender Youth
This 2021 comprehensive report outlines the critical importance of trans inclusion for youth in sports and highlights the assault on trans rights in K-12 sports participation. This report highlights numerous well-being, educational, and social benefits sports can confer, while ignoring the reality that transgender women and girls are women and girls, and transgender men and boys are men and boys.
Outsports series on trans-athlete inclusion
Outsports was nominated for a GLAAD Award for this series exploring the realities of trans athletes at various levels of sports.
Find an Advocate – connect with a K-12 trans sports advocate
If you want to connect with someone in K-12 sports who is trans, or who supports trans athletes, please fill out the below contact form (or click here) and someone from the Sports Equality Foundation will get in touch with you.
