Yvanna Gonzalez, Living Non-Binary in a Binary Sports World, Wednesday

Reading Summary:

The article titled “Living Nonbinary in a Binary Sports World” from Sports Illustrated discusses the challenges faced by nonbinary athletes in the sex-segregated world of sports. The focus is on WNBA’s Layshia Clarendon, who made the decision to have top surgery, a gender affirmation procedure, while in the WNBA bubble.

Clarendon was dealing with the stress of living through a pandemic, being away from their pregnant wife, and leading the WNBA’s Say Her Name campaign. On top of that, they were grappling with their gender identity. They were unsure whether the WNBA would support their decision to have top surgery but knew they would proceed regardless.

The article highlights that Clarendon’s challenge was not the medical decision itself, but whether they would be accepted in a sports world not designed for nonbinary trans people. In this binary world of sports, Clarendon sometimes feels like both a man and a woman and other times feels like neither.

Clarendon, along with triathlete Rach McBride and Quinn, are likely the only openly nonbinary athletes competing professionally in North American sports. The article raises important questions about where nonbinary athletes fit in a sex-segregated sports world and what the future holds for them.

Outside Example:

https://olympics.com/ioc/human-rights/fairness-inclusion-nondiscrimination

This article outlines the International Olympic Committee’s Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination On the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations that was released in November 2021. This framework was created in an effort to be supportive of trans athletes or those with sex variations and to ensure a fair playing field for every Olympic athlete. It includes 10 principles: Inclusion, Prevention of Harm, Non-discrimination, Fairness, No presumption of advantages, Evidence-based approach, Primacy of health and bodily autonomy, Stakeholder-centered approach, Right to privacy, and Periodic reviews. These principals are used in decision making for things like practical actions and policy.

Research Conversation:

Me: Does the IOC’s Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations pertain to athletes who identify as non-binary?

Bing AI:

Yes, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations does pertain to athletes who identify as non-binary. The framework was developed to promote a safe and welcoming environment for everyone involved in elite-level competition¹. It offers guidance to sports bodies on how to draft and implement eligibility criteria which upholds the right of all athletes – regardless of gender identity, expression and/or sex variations – to participate in sport free from discrimination²³. This includes athletes who identify as non-binary. The aim is to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, can practice sport in a safe, harassment-free environment that recognizes and respects their needs and identities¹. However, it’s important to note that the IOC recognizes that it must be within the remit of each sport and its governing body to determine how an athlete may be at a disproportionate advantage compared with their peers, taking into consideration the nature of each sport¹. Therefore, the specifics may vary depending on the sport.

Me: How has the Olympics historically supported trans and non-binary athletes?

Bing AI:

The Olympics has made several strides in supporting transgender and non-binary athletes over the years:

1. 2004: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed transgender athletes to compete in the Olympics for the first time¹²³.
2. 2015: The IOC allowed transgender athletes to compete without undergoing transition-related surgery²³.
3. 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games: These were the first to have openly transgender athletes compete¹.

Historically, the IOC first began using gender verification tests in 1968 to help prevent men from competing as women¹. However, these tests have evolved over time to accommodate transgender athletes¹.

The Tokyo 2020 Games had the highest number of openly LGBT+ competitors ever, including several trailblazers making history as the first openly trans and non-binary athletes to participate⁴. Some of these athletes include:

• Quinn, a midfielder on the Canadian women’s soccer team who identifies as non-binary and made history as the first openly transgender competitor in an Olympic Games⁴.
• Alana Smith, the first openly non-binary competitor to represent the U.S., who competed in women’s street skateboarding⁴.
• Chelsea Wolfe, a reserve BMX rider for the American squad, is the first openly trans athlete to join the U.S. team⁴.
• Laurel Hubbard, a New Zealand weightlifter, became the first openly trans woman to compete at the Olympics⁴.

Despite these advancements, it’s important to note that there has been backlash and criticism regarding the inclusion of transgender and non-binary athletes, with critics arguing that it is unfair and comes at the expense of other athletes⁴. The IOC continues to work on policies that balance inclusion with fair competition.

Me: How do other countries compare to the IOC in terms of supporting trans and non-binary athletes?

Bing AI:

The support for transgender and non-binary athletes can vary widely from country to country, and often depends on the policies of individual sports federations within those countries. Many of these policies are influenced by the guidelines set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For example, in the United States, USA Ultimate had put a new transgender-inclusion policy in place over the summer of 2016¹. Jenna Weiner, a transgender woman, was able to play women’s club ultimate after being on hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) for six months¹. The policy of USA Ultimate, like many other governing bodies at all levels of sports, is downstream of that of the IOC¹.

The IOC’s previous policy required all women to have testosterone levels under 10 nanomoles/liter and transfeminine people to be on testosterone-suppressing medication for at least a year¹. This policy has been used as a model for many other leagues, including youth sports in the United States¹.

In November 2021, the IOC issued nonbinding guidelines recommending that elite sports organizations reevaluate how they include transgender, nonbinary and intersex athletes². These guidelines are not legally binding, and implementation is up to international sports federations².

However, it’s important to note that while these guidelines provide a framework for inclusion and non-discrimination, the actual implementation and policy changes would depend on individual sports bodies. They will need to consider particular ethical, social, cultural, and legal aspects that may be relevant in their context².

For more specific information about policies in other countries, it would be helpful to look at the policies of individual sports federations within those countries. They are often the ones who set the rules for their sport within their respective countries.