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Bulletin 62 print

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| Feature | No.62 October 2011 |

On The Team
Pat Griffin & Helen J. Carroll
Portions of this document have been reprinted with permission of the authors. For additional information about United States legal issues, please see the complete document at www.womenssportsfoundation.org or www.nclr.org.
Introduction
An increasing number of high school- and college-aged young people are identifying as transgender (or trans), meaning that their internal sense of their gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth.[1] These students challenge many parents and educators to rethink our understanding of gender as universally fixed at birth. Educators and parents must be open to this challenge if we are to create educational institutions that value and meet the needs of all students. Once we recognise that transgender young people are part of school communities across the United States, educational leaders have a responsibility to ensure that these students have access to equal opportunities in all academic and extracurricular activities in a safe and respectful school environment.
Some transgender students, like their non-transgender peers, enjoy athletic competition and want to be part of a school sports team. Transgender young people have the same right to participate and benefit from the positive aspects of athletics as other students do. School athletic leaders, in response to this interest, must identify effective and fair policies to ensure that transgender students have an equal opportunity to participate on school sports teams.
School athletic programmes are widely accepted as integral parts of the high school and college experience. The benefits of school athletic participation include many positive effects on physical, social, and emotional well-being. Playing sports can provide student athletes with important lessons about self-discipline, teamwork, success, and failure - as well as the joy and shared excitement that being a member of a sports team can bring.
Additionally, participation in high school athletics shows that a student is well-rounded and can improve a student`s chances of acceptance into college. For some students, playing on high school teams leads to future careers in athletics as competitors, coaches, administrators, and athletic trainers. All students, including those who are transgender, deserve access to these benefits.
Though the needs of transgender students in high school and college have received some attention in recent years, this issue has not been adequately addressed in the context of athletics. Few high school or collegiate athletic programmes, administrators, or coaches are prepared to fairly, systematically, and effectively address a transgender student`s interest in participating in athletics. The majority of school athletic programmes have no policy governing the inclusion of transgender student athletes, and most coaches are unprepared to accommodate a transgender student who wants to play on a sports team. In fact, most school athletic programmes are unprepared to address even basic accommodations such as knowing what pronouns or names to use when referring to a transgender student, where a transgender student should change clothes for practice or competition, or what bathroom or shower that student should use.
In response to this need, the National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project and the Women`s Sports Foundation initiative `It Takes a Team!` convened a national think tank in October 2009 entitled “Equal Opportunities for Transgender student athletes.” Think tank participants included leaders from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National High School Federation, transgender student athletes, and an impressive array of experts on transgender issues from a range of disciplines—law, medicine, advocacy, and athletics.
Think tank participants were committed to a set of guiding principles based on the core values of inclusion, fairness, and equal opportunity in sport. The think tank goals were to develop model policies and identify best practices for high school and collegiate athletic programmes to ensure the full inclusion of transgender student athletes.
Think tank participants were also keenly aware of the advantages of adopting uniform national policies for the participation of high school and college transgender athletes. By adopting a single national policy for all high schools and a single national policy for intercollegiate athletics, educators can ensure that student athletes and teams will not run into problems due to inconsistent rules for state eligibility, conference and tournament eligibility, and national competitive tournaments. The adoption of a single national standard for high schools and a single national standard for colleges would also enable an easier transition for high school transgender student athletes moving to another state, or for transgender student athletes in college to transfer to a programme in another state.
This report reflects the best thinking of the think tank participants, based on current medical knowledge and legal protections for transgender people, about how to ensure equal opportunities for transgender student athletes. The purpose of this report is to provide leaders in education and athletics with the information they need to make effective policy decisions about the participation of transgender student athletes in high school and college athletic programmes. This report is intended for everyone involved with high school or collegiate athletics including college presidents, school board members, high school state athletic association leaders, school principals and district superintendents, intercollegiate athletic conference commissioners, and sport governing organisation leaders. It is also intended for individual athletic directors, coaches, student athletes, and parents.
Part one: Overview
This section of the report provides an overview of issues related to providing equal opportunities for transgender student athletes by addressing the following questions:

- What Does Transgender Mean?
- Why Must We Address Transgender Issues in Athletics? Why Focus on High School and College Athletics?
- Should the Participation of Transgender Student Athletes Raise Concerns About Competitive Equity?
- What Are the benefits of Adopting Fair and Inclusive Policies?
- What Are Harmful Effects of Failing to Adopt Fair and Inclusive Policies?

What Does Transgender Mean?
“Transgender” describes an individual whose gender identity (one`s internal psychological identification as a boy/man or girl/woman) does not match the person`s sex at birth. For example, a male-to-female (mTF) transgender person is someone who was born with a male body, but who identifies as a girl or a woman. A female-to-male (FTm) transgender person is someone who was born with a female body, but who identifies as a boy or a man.[2]
Some transgender people choose to share the fact that they are transgender with others. Other transgender people prefer to keep the fact that they transgender private.
It is important that other people recognise and respect the transgender person`s identification as a man or a woman. In order to feel comfortable and to express their gender identity to other people, transgender people may take a variety of steps: changing their names and self-referencing pronouns to better match their gender identity; choosing clothes, hairstyles, or other aspects of self-presentation that reflect their gender identity; and generally living, and presenting themselves to others, consistently with their gender identity. Some, but not all, transgender people take hormones or undergo surgical procedures to change their bodies to better reflect their gender identity.
Some people are confused by the difference between transgender people and people who have intersex conditions. The key feature of being transgender is having a psychological identification as a man or a woman that differs from the person`s sex at birth. Apart from having a gender identity that is different than their bodies, transgender people are not born with physical characteristics that distinguish them from others. In contrast, people with intersex conditions (which may also be called a “Differences of Sex Development”), are born with physically mixed or atypical bodies with respect to sexual characteristics such as chromosomes, internal reproductive organs and genitalia, and external genitalia.[3] An estimated one in 2,000 people are born with an anatomy or chromosome pattern that doesn`t seem to fit typical definitions of male or female. The conditions that cause these variations are sometimes grouped under the terms “intersex” or “DSD” (Differences of Sex Development).[4]
Most people with intersex conditions clearly identify as male or female and do not have any confusion or ambiguity about their gender identities. In fact, most intersex conditions are not visible, and many intersex people are unaware of having an intersex condition unless it is discovered during medical procedures. Though there may be some similar issues related to sports participation between transgender and intersex individuals, there are also significant differences. This report will focus on the participation of transgender people in sports.
Why Must We Address Transgender Issues in School Athletic Programmes?
Educators must address transgender issues in athletics for several reasons. First and foremost, core values of equal opportunity and inclusion demand that educational leaders adopt thoughtful and effective policies that enable all students to participate fully in school athletic programmes. Over the course of many years, schools have learned and continue to appreciate the value and necessity of accommodating the sport participation interests of students of colour, girls and women, students with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. These are all issues of basic fairness and equity that demand the expansion of our thinking about equal opportunity in sports. The right of transgender students to participate in sports calls for similar considerations of fairness and equal access.
Additionally, as more states, localities, and schools add gender identity and expression to their non-discrimination policies, and as more courts hold that sex discrimination laws protect transgender people, transgender students and their parents are increasingly empowered to insist that athletic programmes accommodate transgender students.
To avoid decision-making that perpetuates discrimination, school leaders must be proactive in adopting policies that are consistent with school non-discrimination policies and state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression (see Appendix A for definitions of gender identity and gender expression).
Though the number of transgender students is small, research indicates that their number is growing.[5] As the number of people who come out as transgender as teenagers and children increases, so too do the numbers of parents who support their transgender children and advocate for their rights to safety and fair treatment in schools. In response to these demands, K-12 school and college leaders must be prepared to accommodate the educational needs and protect the rights of trans-identified students.
To respond to these realities, sport governing organisations and individual schools are well advised to proactively adopt policies that provide equal opportunities for transgender students to participate on school sports teams. Moreover, in the spirit of encouraging sports participation for all, it is the right thing to do.
In order to design effective policies, educators must understand that gender is a core part of everyone`s identity and that gender is more complex than our society generally acknowledges. Learning about the experience of transgender people can help us to see more clearly how gender affects all of our lives, and to put that knowledge into practice in order to better serve all students.
Addressing the needs of transgender students is an important emerging equal opportunity issue that must be taken seriously by school leaders. Because a more complex understanding of gender may be new and challenging for some people, there is a danger that misinformation and stereotypes will guide policy decisions rather than accurate and up-to-date information. Athletic leaders who are charged with policy development need guidance to avoid inscribing misconceptions and misinformation in policies that, ultimately, create more problems than they solve.
Why Focus on High School and College Athletics?
Providing equal opportunities in all aspects of school programming is a core value in education. As an integral part of educational institutions, high school and college athletic programmes are responsible and accountable for reflecting the goals and values of the educational institutions of which they are a part. It follows that school athletic programmes must reflect the value of equal opportunity in all policies and practices.
Athletic programmes affiliated with educational institutions have a responsibility, beyond those of adult amateur or professional sports programmes, to look beyond the value of competition to promote broader educational goals of participation, inclusion, and equal opportunity. Because high schools and colleges must be committed to those broader educational goals, they should not unthinkingly adopt policies developed for adult Olympic and professional athletes. Recognising the need to address the participation of transgender athletes, a few leading international and professional sport governing organisations have developed policies based on overly stringent, invasive, and rigid medical requirements. These policies are not workable or advisable for high school and college athletes for a number of reasons.
For example, in 2004 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) developed a policy addressing the eligibility of transgender athletes to compete in IOC sanctioned events.[6] While the IOC deserves credit for its pioneering effort to address the inclusion of transgender athletes, medical experts have identified serious flaws in the IOC policy, especially its requirement of genital reconstructive surgery, which lacks a well-founded medical or policy basis. most transgender people—even as adults—do not have genital reconstructive surgery.[7] In addition, whether a transgender person has genital reconstructive surgery has no bearing on their athletic ability. The IOC policy also fails to provide sufficient protections for the privacy and dignity of transgender athletes. Because of these serious flaws, high schools and colleges should not adopt or look to the IOC policy as a model.[8]
There are additional reasons for high schools and colleges to create their own policies rather than adopt policies developed for adults. High school- and college-aged student athletes have developmental needs that differ from those of adults. For example, a core purpose of high school and college is to teach students how to participate and be good citizens in an increasingly diverse society and how to interact respectfully with others. In addition, high school and college athletic programmes impose limits on how many years a student athlete can compete that do not exist in adult sporting competitions, where athletes can compete as long as their performances are viable or, in the case of most amateur sports, as long as they wish to.
It is also advisable that high school athletic programmes adopt a different policy for including transgender student athletes than college athletic programmes. Specifically, this report recommends that high schools permit transgender athletes to play on teams consistent with the student`s gender identity, without regard to whether the student has undertaken any medical treatment. In contrast, the report recommends a more nuanced policy for collegiate athletics that is based, in part, upon whether a student athlete is undergoing hormone therapy.
The need for distinct high school and collegiate policies is based on several considerations. First, in high school settings, students are guaranteed the availability of a high school education and a corresponding opportunity to participate equally in all high school programmes and activities. At the high school level, the focus should be on full participation in athletics for all students, within the limits of school resources to provide participation opportunities.
Second, intercollegiate sports are governed differently than high school sports. Intercollegiate athletics are regulated nationally by governing bodies that sponsor national competitions and oversee such functions as the random testing of student athletes for the use of banned substances thought to enhance athletic performance. Because testosterone is a banned substance under the current rules for intercollegiate competition, the inclusion of transgender student athletes in college sports must be consistent with those rules.
Third, high school student athletes are still growing and developing physically, cognitively, and emotionally. Because high school-aged students are still growing and maturing, they present a broader range of physical characteristics than collegiate student athletes do, and these differences should be taken into account in developing a policy for high school students.
Finally, high school-aged and younger transgender students are subject to different medical protocols than adults because of their age and physical and psychological development.[9] The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has established guiding medical protocols for transitioning—the process by which a transgender person lives consistently with their gender identity—which may include treatments to have the person`s physical presentation more closely align with their identity. Those protocols vary based on the age and psychological readiness of the young person.[10] For children and youth, transition typically consists entirely of permitting the child to dress, live, and function socially consistently with the child`s gender identity. For youth who are approaching puberty, hormone blockers may be prescribed to delay puberty in order to prevent the youth from going through the traumatic experience of acquiring secondary sex characteristics that conflict with his or her core gender identity. For older youth, cross-gender hormones or even some sex-reassignment surgeries may be prescribed.
All of these factors point to the need to develop policies for the inclusion of transgender student athletes in high school and college programmes that take the relevant differences between the two settings into account. In the high school and college policies recommended below, we have attempted to take account of these differences.
Should the Participation of Transgender Student Athletes on School Teams Raise Concerns About Competitive Equity?
Concern about creating an “unfair competitive advantage” on sex-separated teams is one of the most often cited reasons for resistance to the participation of transgender student athletes. This concern is cited most often in discussions about transgender women or girls competing on a women`s or girls` team. Some advocates for gender equality in high school and college sports are concerned that allowing transgender girls or women—that is, male-to-female transgender athletes who were born male, but who identify as female—to compete on women`s teams will take away opportunities for other girls and women, or that transgender girls or women will have a competitive advantage over other nontransgender competitors.
These concerns are based on three assumptions: one, that transgender girls and women are not “real” girls or women and therefore not deserving of an equal competitive opportunity; two, that being born with a male body automatically gives a transgender girl or woman an unfair advantage when competing against non-transgender girls and women; and three, that boys or men might be tempted to pretend to be transgender in order to compete in competition with girls or women.
These assumptions are not well founded. First, the decision to transition from one gender to the other—to align one`s external gender presentation with one`s internal sense of gender identity—is a deeply significant and difficult choice that is made only after careful consideration and for the most compelling of reasons. Gender identity is a core aspect of a person`s identity, and it is just as deep seated, authentic, and real for a transgender person as for others. male-to-female transgender women fully identify and live their lives as women, and female-to-male transgender men fully identify and live their lives as men. For many transgender people, gender transition is a psychological and social necessity. It is essential that educators in and out of athletics understand this.
Second, while some people fear that transgender women will have an unfair advantage over non-transgender women, it is important to place that fear in context. When examined carefully, the realities underlying this issue are more complex than they may seem at first blush. The basis of this concern is that transgender girls or women who have gone through male puberty may have an unfair advantage due to the growth in long bones, muscle mass, and strength that is triggered by testosterone. However, a growing number of transgender youth are undergoing medically guided hormonal treatment prior to puberty, thus effectively neutralising this concern. Increasingly, doctors who specialise in treating transgender people are prescribing hormone blockers to protect children who clearly identify as the other gender from the trauma of undergoing puberty in the wrong gender and acquiring unwanted secondary sex characteristics. When the youth is old enough to make an informed decision, he or she can make the choice of whether to begin cross-gender hormones. Transgender girls who transition in this way do not go through a male puberty, and therefore their participation in athletics as girls does not raise the same equity concerns that might otherwise be present.
In addition, even transgender girls who do not access hormone blockers or cross-gender hormones display a great deal of physical variation, just as there is a great deal of natural variation in physical size and ability among non-transgender girls and boys. Many people may have a stereotype that all transgender girls and women are unusually tall and have large bones and muscles. But that is not true. A male-to-female transgender girl may be small and slight, even if she is not on hormone blockers or taking estrogens. It is important not to over generalise. The assumption that all male-bodied people are taller, stronger, and more highly skilled in a sport than all female-bodied people is not accurate.[11] This assumption is especially inaccurate when applied to youth who are still developing physically and who therefore display a significantly broader range of variation in size, strength, and skill than older youth and adults.[12]
It is also important to know that any athletic advantages a transgender girl or woman arguably may have as a result of her prior testosterone levels dissipate after about one year of estrogen therapy. According to medical experts on this issue, the assumption that a transgender girl or woman competing on a women`s team would have a competitive advantage outside the range of performance and competitive advantage or disadvantage that already exists among female athletes is not supported by evidence.[13] As one survey of the existing research concludes, “the data available does not appear to suggest that transitioned athletes would compete at an advantage or disadvantage as compared with physically born men and women.”[14]
Finally, fears that boys or men will pretend to be female to compete on a girls` or women`s team are unwarranted given that in the entire 40 year history of “sex verification” procedures in international sport competitions, no instances of such “fraud” have been revealed.[15] Instead, rather than identifying men who are trying to fraudulently compete as women, “sex verification” tests have been misused to humiliate and unfairly exclude women with intersex conditions.[16] The apparent failure of such tests to serve their stated purpose of deterring fraud—and the terrible damage they have caused to individual women athletes—should be taken into account when developing policies for the inclusion of transgender athletes.
Rather than repeating the mistakes of the past, educators in high school and collegiate athletics programmes must develop thoughtful and informed policies that provide opportunities for all students, including transgender students, to participate in sports. These policies must be based on sound medical science, which shows that male-to-female transgender athletes do not have any automatic advantage over other women and girls. These policies must also be based on the educational values of sport and the reasons why sport is included as a vital component of the educational environment: promoting the physical and psychological well-being of all students, and teaching students the values of equality, participation, inclusion, teamwork, discipline, and respect for diversity.
What Are the Benefits of Adopting Inclusive Policies and Practices Regarding Transgender Student Athletes?
All stakeholders in high school and collegiate athletics will benefit from adopting fair and inclusive policies enabling transgender student athletes to participate on school sports teams. School-based sports, even at the most competitive levels, remain an integral part of the process of education and development of young people, especially emerging leaders in our society. Adopting fair and inclusive participation policies will allow school and athletic leaders to fulfil their commitment to create an environment in which all students can thrive, develop their full potential, and learn how to interact with persons from diverse groups.
Many schools and athletic departments identify diversity as strength and have included sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in their non-discrimination policies. Athletic departments and personnel are responsible for creating and maintaining an inclusive and non-discriminatory climate in the areas they oversee. Adopting inclusive participation policies provides school athletic leaders with a concrete opportunity to fulfil that mandate and demonstrate their commitment to fair play and inclusion.
Moreover, when all participants in athletics are committed to fair play, inclusion, and respect, student athletes are free to focus on performing their best in athletic competition and in the classroom. This climate promotes the well-being and achievement potential of all student athletes. Every student athlete and coach will benefit from meeting the challenge of overcoming fear and prejudice about social groups of which they are not members. This respect for difference will be invaluable to all student athletes as they graduate and enter an increasingly diverse workforce in which knowing how to work effectively across differences is a professional and personal asset.
What Are Harmful Potential Consequences of Failure to Adopt Transgender-Inclusive Policies and Practices?
When schools fail to adopt inclusive participation policies, they are not living up to the educational ideals of equality and inclusion, and may reinforce the image of athletics as a privileged activity not accountable to broad institutional and societal ideals of inclusion and respect for difference. moreover, this failure puts schools, athletic conferences, and sport governing organisations at risk of costly discrimination lawsuits and negative media attention.
Failing to adopt transgender-inclusive participation policies is hurtful to and discriminates against transgender students because they may be denied the opportunity to participate in school sports. School sports programmes are integral parts of a well-rounded education experience. The benefits of school sports participation include many positive effects on physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. All students, including those who are transgender, deserve access to these benefits.[17]
Failure to adopt inclusive participation policies also hurt non-transgender students by conveying a message that the values of non-discrimination and inclusion are less important than values based on competition and winning. Schools must model and educate about non-discrimination values in all aspects of school programming, not only for students, but for parents and community members as well.
Last but not least, failure to adopt policies that ensure equal opportunities for transgender student athletes may also result in costly and divisive litigation. As described in Appendix B, a growing number of states and localities are adopting specific legal protections for transgender students. In addition, state and federal courts are increasingly applying sex discrimination laws to prohibit discrimination against transgender people.
Several studies show that schools are often hostile places for transgender students and other students who do not conform to stereotypical gender expectations.[18] These students are frequently subjected to peer harassment and bullying which stigmatises and isolates them. This mistreatment can lead to feelings of hopelessness, depression, and low self-esteem. When a school or athletic organisation denies transgender students the ability to participate in sports because of their gender identity or expression that condones, reinforces and affirms their social status as outsiders or misfits who deserve the hostility they experience from peers.
Finally, the absence of transgender-inclusive policies and practices reinforces stereotypes and fears about gender diversity. When transgender students are stigmatised and excluded, even no transgender students may experience pressure to conform to gender-role stereotypes as a way to avoid being bullied or harassed themselves.
Policy Recommendations
We recommend that policies governing the participation of transgender student athletes be informed by the following principles, which provided a philosophical foundation for the think tank participants.
Think Tank participants were committed to these guiding principles based on the belief that athletic participation is an integral part of the educational experience. This report recommends that, in addition to an organisation`s stated values, the following principles be included in the transgender student athlete policy statement:

1. Participation in interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics is a valuable part of the education experience for all students.
2. Transgender student athletes should have equal opportunity to participate in sports.
3. The integrity of women`s sports should be preserved.
4. Policies governing sports should be based on sound medical knowledge and scientific validity.
5. Policies governing sports should be objective, workable, and practicable; they should also be written, available and equitably enforced.
6. Policies governing the participation of transgender students in sports should be fair in light of the tremendous variation among individuals in strength, size, musculature, and ability.
7. The legitimate privacy interests of all student athletes should be protected.
8. The medical privacy of transgender students should be preserved.
9. Athletic administrators, staff, parents of athletes, and student athletes should have access to sound and effective educational resources and training related to the participation of transgender and gender-variant students in athletics.
10. Policies governing the participation of transgender students in athletics should comply with state and federal laws protecting students from discrimination based on sex, disability, and gender identity and expression.

General Recommendations

1. Schools should adopt transgender student athlete inclusive policies proactively, rather than waiting for a transgender student to express an interest in sports participation. Proactive adoption of such a policy enables school and athletic administrators to educate staff, students and parents about the policy and increases the likelihood that inclusion of transgender students on school teams will occur in a timely, fair and effective manner. The adoption of comprehensive, consistent policies, and the institution of training concerning participation of transgender student athletes before the instance of a transgender student asking to participate also prevent situations in which a student may be subject to harassment or other unwanted or undue attention.
2. Policies governing the participation of transgender student athletes should be adopted by national and state athletic associations and implemented within individual school districts at the individual school level. The advantage of adopting a single national policy for all high schools and a single national policy for intercollegiate athletics is that it provides consistency for state eligibility rules, conference and tournament eligibility, and national competitive tournaments. This consistency reduces the likelihood of student athletes being held to different eligibility requirements in different states.
3. The adoption of a single national standard for high schools and a single national standard for colleges would also enable an easier transition for high school transgender student athletes moving to another state, or for transgender student athletes in college to transfer to a programme in another state. Policy consistency eliminates confusion and ensures that transgender student athletes will be afforded an opportunity to compete in every state at both the high school and collegiate levels. Add or amend school non-discrimination policies to include “gender identity and expression.”
4. Policies should focus on maximising inclusiveness, rather than restricting students` opportunities to participate based on their gender identity or expression.
5. Policies should reflect the educational values of the organisation adopting them and include procedures for implementation, protection of student confidentiality, and appeal.
6. Policies should enable all student athletes, regardless of their gender identity or expression, to compete in a safe, competitive, and respectful environment free of discrimination.
7. Policies should use clear and consistent language that reflects understanding of the concepts of transgender, gender identity, and gender expression.
8. Policies should be in written form and included in all school organisational rulebooks, eligibility guidelines, and student athlete handbooks and should be made readily available to all stakeholders including administrators, coaches, students, and parents.
9. Educational resources should be made available to all national, state and local athletic associations and conferences, school athletic staff, parents, and student athletes, including:
   - Information about gender identity and expression
   - State and federal non-discrimination and anti-harassment laws pertaining to transgender students
   - Best practices for including transgender student athletes on teams, and
   - Information about the transgender student athlete participation policy in the student athlete handbook.

Policy Recommendations for High School and Collegiate Athletics
The following policy recommendations are for high school and collegiate athletic programmes and should not be assumed appropriate for younger age groups. We recommend that policies for younger athletes should be adopted specifically for that age group and should follow the general guidelines developed by the Transgender Law and Policy Institute and endorsed by Gender Spectrum which states that prepubescent young people should be able to commit in recreational and school sports according to their gender identity.[19]We urge readers to keep in mind that policy development governing the inclusion of transgender student athletes is an emerging endeavor. As new research on the participation of transgender athletes and the physiological effects of gender transition on athletic performance becomes available, policies may need to be reevaluated to ensure that they reflect the most current research-based information.
Recommended Policy for High School Athletics
A transgender student athlete at the high school level shall be allowed to participate in a sports activity in accordance with his or her gender identity irrespective of the gender listed on the student`s birth certificate or other student records, and regardless of whether the student has undergone any medical treatment. This policy shall not prevent a transgender student athlete from electing to participate in a sports activity according to his or her assigned birth gender.
Recommended implementation procedures

1. Notice to the School: The student and/or parents shall contact the school administrator or athletic director indicating that the student has a consistent gender identity different than the gender listed on the student`s school registration records or state birth record, and that the student desires to participate in activities in a manner consistent with his/her gender identity.
2. Notice to the State Interscholastic Athletic Association (SIAA): The athletic director shall notify the SIAA of the student`s interest in participating.
3. Once the athletic director grants the student eligibility to participate in the sport consistent with his/her gender identity, the eligibility is granted for the duration of the student`s participation and does not need to be renewed every sports season or school year. All discussion and documentation will be kept confidential, and the proceedings will be sealed unless the student and family make these records available.
4. All communications among involved parties and required supporting documentation shall be kept confidential and all records of proceedings sealed unless the student and family make a specific request otherwise. All medical information provided pursuant to this policy shall be kept strictly confidential as is consistent with medical privacy law.
5. Should any questions arise about whether a student`s request to participate in a sports activity consistent with his or her gender identity is bona fide, a student may seek review of his or her eligibility for participation through the procedure set forth below:

A. First Level of Appeal: The student will be scheduled for an appeal hearing before an SIAA eligibility committee specifically established to hear gender identity appeals. The SIAA shall schedule a hearing as expeditiously as possible, but in no case later than five (5) school business days of the student`s school prior to the first full interscholastic contest that is the subject of the petition, or within a reasonable time thereafter in cases of emergency, including, but not limited to, any unforeseeable late student enrollment. The Gender Identity Eligibility Committee will be comprised of a minimum of three of the following persons, at least one of whom must be from the physician or mental health professional categories:

- Physician with experience in transgender health care and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care
- Psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed mental health professional familiar with the WPATH Standards of Care
- School administrator from a non-appealing school
- SIAA staff member
- Advocate familiar with issues of gender identity and expression

B. Documentation: The appealing student should provide the Eligibility Committee with the following documentation and information:

- Current transcript and school registration information
- Documentation of the student`s consistent gender identification (e.g., written statements from the student and/or parent/guardian and/or health care provider)
- Any other pertinent documentation or information

C. Committee Decision Process: The student`s appeal should be granted upon the committee`s receipt of the documentation noted above.
D. Second Level of Appeal: If the Gender Identity Eligibility Committee denies the student`s request to participate, the student can file a notice of appeal with the Executive Director of the SIAA on or before the tenth (10th) school business day following the date of receipt of the written decision of the Gender Identity Eligibility Committee denying the petition. An appeal to the SIAA Executive Director shall require the Executive Director to schedule a hearing to commence on or before the tenth (10th) school business day following the date of receipt of the written notice of appeal. Written notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be delivered to the appealing student in person or by certified mail, with return receipt requested, no later than five (5) school business days of the student`s school prior to the date of the hearing.
E. When there is confirmation of a student`s consistent gender identity, the Eligibility Committee/SIAA Executive Director will affirm the student`s eligibility to participate in SIAA activities consistent with the student`s gender identification.
Our think tank report recommendation for interscholastic athletics is based on the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Gender Identity/Expression policy adopted in 2008. The WIAA adopted this non-discrimination policy permitting transgender student athletes to participate according to their gender identity. This policy and specific procedural steps that students and schools are required to follow are described in the WIAA Official Handbook. WIAA officials report that this policy is working as planned in providing equal opportunity for currently participating transgender student athletes. The WIAA policy is, as of 2010, the best working policy governing the participation of transgender student athletes in high school sports and is consistent with contemporary medical knowledge and practice and with the principles of inclusion and non-discrimination, as well as with laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender persons.
As a final note, it is important to recognise that some high school transgender athletes will have undergone hormonal treatments or even surgeries, and others will not. This recommended policy— which requires inclusion regardless of whether a transgender student has undergone any medical treatment—recognises that regulating access to high school sports based on medical treatment would be unfair and too complicated for this level of competition. However, high schools should ensure that transgender student athletes are aware of any policies that may affect their ability to compete at the collegiate level so that they can make informed choices about how medical transition may affect their eligibility to participate in collegiate athletics.
Recommended Policy for College Athletics
A transgender student athlete at the college level should be allowed to participate in any sports activity so long as that athlete`s use of hormone therapy, if any, is consistent with the National Governing Body`s (NGB) existing policies on banned medications. Specifically, a transgender student athlete should be allowed to participate in sex-separated sports activities under the following conditions:
I Participation in Sex-Separated Sport Teams
A. Transgender student athletes who are undergoing hormone treatment

1. A male-to-female (mTF) transgender student athlete who is taking medically prescribed hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate on a men`s team at any time, but must complete one year of hormone treatment related to gender transition before competing on a women`s team.[20]
2. A female-to-male (FTm) transgender student athlete who is taking medically prescribed testosterone related to gender transition may not participate on a women`s team after beginning hormone treatment, and must request a medical exception from the National Governing Body (NGB) prior to competing on a men`s team because testosterone is a banned substance.
3. A female-to-male (FTm) transgender student athlete who is taking medically prescribed testosterone for the purposes of gender transition may compete on a men`s team.
4. In any case where a student athlete is taking hormone treatment related to gender transition, that treatment must be monitored by a physician, and the NGB must receive regular reports about the athlete`s eligibility according to these guidelines.

B. Transgender student athletes who are NOT undergoing hormone treatment

1. Any transgender student athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in sex-separated sports activities in accordance with his or her assigned birth gender.
2. A female-to-male transgender student athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may participate on a men`s or women`s team.
3. A male-to-female transgender student athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition may not compete on a women`s team.

II Participation in Mixed Sport Teams
A mixed team has both female and male participants and may be restricted in championship play according to specific national governing body rules.
A. Transgender student athletes who are undergoing hormone treatment

1. For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a male-to-female (mTF) transgender student athlete who is taking medically prescribed hormone treatment related to gender transition shall be counted as a male participant until the athlete has completed one year of hormone treatment at which time the athlete shall be counted as a female participant.
2. For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a female-to-male (FTm) transgender student athlete who is taking medically prescribed testosterone related to gender transition shall be counted as a male participant and must request a medical exception from the National Governing Body (NGB) prior to competing because testosterone is a banned substance.

B. Transgender student athletes who are NOT undergoing hormone treatment

1. For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a female-to-male (FTm) transgender student athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may be counted as either a male or female.
2. For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a female-to-male (FTm) transgender student athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition participating on a women`s team shall not make that team a mixed gender team.
3. For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a male-to-female (mTF) transgender student athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition shall count as a male.

Recommended Implementation Process
A. The student`s responsibility

1. In order to avoid challenges to a transgender student`s participation during a sport season, a student athlete who has completed, plans to initiate, or is in the process of taking hormones as part of a gender transition shall submit the request to participate on a sports team in writing to the athletic director upon matriculation or when the decision to undergo hormonal treatment is made.
2. The student shall submit her or his request to the athletic director. The request shall include a letter from the student`s physician documenting the student athlete`s intention to transition or the student`s transition status if the process has already been initiated. This letter shall identify the prescribed hormonal treatment for the student`s gender transition and documentation of the student`s testosterone levels, if relevant.

B. Individual School and National Governing Body Responsibilities

1. The athletic director shall meet with the student to review eligibility requirements and procedure for approval of transgender participation.
2. The athletic director shall notify the NGB of the student`s request to participate. The NGB will assign a facilitator to assist the athletic director in responding to the request.
3. If a student athlete`s request is denied by the athletic director, the decision must be automatically reviewed by a Transgender Participation Committee to be established by a school administrator. This committee shall be convened and its decision reported to the athletic director and school administrator in a timely fashion. This committee should include:
   - A health care professional, e.g. physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other licensed health professional with experience in transgender health care and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care. The student athlete`s physician can serve in this role.
   - A faculty athletic representative; and
   - A representative assigned by the institution`s president with expertise in institutional anti-discrimination policy, such as someone from the institution`s human resources, ombuds office, or Americans with Disabilities compliance office.
4. The athletic director will notify the NGB of the appeal outcome.
5. The NGB will confirm that the treatment requirement has been met.
6. Transgender student athletes subject to a one-year transition period should receive an extension of their eligibility at the end of their transition period, upon timely review and approval by the NGB.
7. An opposing team or school may only challenge a transgender student athlete`s approved eligibility through the accepted formal appeal process of the NGB.
8. All discussions among involved parties and required written supporting documentation should be kept confidential, unless the student athlete makes a specific request otherwise. All information about an individual student`s transgender identity and medical information, including physician`s information provided pursuant to this policy, shall be maintained confidentially.*

[*The NGB should provide a model confidentiality policy for member institutions, including information about medical waivers.]
Additional Guidelines for Transgender Student Athlete Inclusion
In addition to overall eligibility policy, we recommend that the following additional guidelines be adopted by individual schools at both the high school and college level. These guidelines will assist schools, athletic departments, coaches, teams, and student athletes in creating an environment in which all student athletes are safe and fairly treated.
Facilities Access

1. Changing Areas, Toilets, Showers—Transgender student athletes should be able to use the locker room, shower, and toilet facilities in accordance with the student`s gender identity. Every locker room should have some private, enclosed changing areas, showers, and toilets for use by any athlete who desires them. When requested by a transgender student athlete, schools should provide private, separate changing, showering, and toilet facilities for the student`s use, but transgender students should not be required to use separate facilities.
2. Competition at Another School—If a transgender student athlete requires a particular accommodation to ensure access to appropriate changing, showering, or bathroom facilities, school leaders, athletic directors, and coaches, in consultation with the transgender student athlete, should notify their counterparts at other schools prior to competitions to ensure that the student has access to facilities that are comfortable and safe. This notification should maintain the student`s confidentiality. Under no circumstances should a student athlete`s identity as a transgender person be disclosed without the student`s express permission.
3. Hotel Rooms—Transgender student athletes generally should be assigned to share hotel rooms based on their gender identity, with a recognition that any student who needs extra privacy should be accommodated whenever possible.

Language

1. Preferred Names—In all cases, teammates, coaches and all others in the school should refer to transgender student athletes by a student`s preferred name.
2. Pronouns—Similarly, in all cases, pronoun references to transgender student athletes should reflect the student`s gender and pronoun preferences.

Dress Codes and Team Uniforms

1. Dress Codes—Transgender athletes should be permitted to dress consistently with their gender identities. That is, a female-to-male transgender athlete should be permitted to dress as a male. A male-to-female should be permitted to dress as a female. For reasons unrelated to trans-inclusion, schools should evaluate the necessity of gendered dress codes and recognise that they tend to marginalise a range of students who may not feel comfortable with them. Dress codes for athletic teams when traveling or during a game day at school should be gender-neutral. Instead of requiring a girls` or women`s team to wear dresses or skirts, for example, ask that team members wear dresses or slacks that are clean, neat, well cared for and appropriately “dressy” for representing their school and team.
2. Uniforms—All team members should have access to uniforms that are appropriate for their sport and that they feel comfortable wearing. No student should be required to wear a gendered uniform that conflicts with the student`s gender identity.

Education

1. In School—All members of the school community should receive information and education about transgender identities, school or district non-discrimination policies, the use of preferred names and pronouns, and expectations for creating a respectful team and school climate for all students, including transgender and gender-variant students.
2. Athletic Conference Personnel—Athletic conference leaders should be educated about the need for policies governing the participation of transgender student athletes, develop such policies, and ensure that all schools in the conference understand and adopt the policies.
3. Opposing Teams/Schools—Without violating a transgender student`s confidentiality or privacy, school leaders, athletic directors, and coaches should communicate with their counterparts at other schools prior to competitions in which a transgender athlete is participating about expectations for treatment of transgender student athletes on and off the field. This does not require “outing” or otherwise identifying a particular student athlete as transgender, but rather establishing general expectations for the treatment of all student athletes, including those who may be transgender.

Media

1. Training—All school or athletic representatives (conference and/or state leaders, sports information departments and personnel, school leaders, athletic administrators, team members, and coaches) who are authorised to speak with the media should receive information about appropriate terminology, use of preferred names and pronouns, and school and athletic conference policies regarding the participation of transgender student athletes on school sports teams.
2. Confidentiality—Protecting the privacy of transgender student athletes must be a top priority for all athletic department and affiliated school personnel, particularly when in the presence of the media. All medical information shall be kept confidential in accordance with applicable state, local, and federal privacy laws.

Enforcement and non-Retaliation

1. Enforcement—Any member of an athletics department who has been found to have violated this policy by threatening to withhold athletic opportunity or harassing any student on the basis of their gender identity or expression, or by breaching medical confidentiality will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge or expulsion from the school. The athletic department will also take appropriate remedial action to correct the situation. Any member of the athletic department who becomes aware of conduct that violates this policy should report the conduct to the appropriate official such as the athletic director.
2. Retaliation—Retaliation is specifically forbidden against anyone who complains about discrimination based on gender identity or expression, even if the person was in error. This athletic department will take steps to prevent any retaliation against any person who makes such a complaint.

Best Practices Recommendations for Implementing Transgender Student Athlete Inclusion Policies
Part Three describes best practices—the actions that coaches, administrators, student athletes, and parents of transgender student athletes can take to assure the inclusion of transgender student athletes. Although these practices specifically address transgender student athletes, they can be used to address discrimination based on other factors as well, such as race, religion, class, and sexual orientation.
The first part of this section describes general best practices for everyone. The next sections identify best practices we recommend specifically to athletic administrators, coaches, student athletes, and parents of student athletes, as well as athletic staff who interact with the media.
Overall Best Practices

1. Provide Equal Opportunity—Colleges and universities often have legal obligations to provide equal opportunity to student athletes and to personnel, including coaches. All those involved in athletics should be aware of these obligations, and treat them as core values guiding policies and practices. Transgender discrimination may be a part of a systemic problem where the broader environment is unfriendly or discriminatory toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This will negatively affect all boys, girls, men, and women who participate in athletic competition. If discrimination is accepted as part of the common practices of an athletic department, this will undermine the core principle of equal opportunity.
2. Value Diversity—In creating guidelines or best practices for including transgender student athletes, it is important to place this conversation in the context of the athletic department`s broad commitments to safety, fairness, and respect for all participants. It helps when athletic department leadership, including coaches, value all aspects of diversity. Collegiate athletics provide an opportunity for students to compete with and against others who come from different races, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and social classes, but all of whom share the common goal of achieving athletic excellence. Valuing this common ground enhances the social and competitive experience for all. Athletic administrators should make their commitment to valuing diversity explicit in media interviews and other public speaking opportunities as well as in meetings with athletic department staff. That diversity-valuing approach then shapes and informs activities throughout the athletic department and is conveyed to coaches and student athletes. Everyone should also understand how these core values are important to team success and to individual team member development. Teams that value each member`s contribution to the unit, while respecting individual differences, provide a foundation for the whole team and each member of the team to focus on achieving their athletic and academic goals.
3. When diversity values are explicit, athletic departments, institutions, state, and national governing organisations are in a position to develop specific policy statements that reflect a commitment to these values. These policy statements, if followed, protect schools, administrators, student athletes, and coaches from litigation and other negative consequences. Coaches should know that they may have a transgender student athlete on their teams and should be equipped to make that experience a positive one for the athlete and their teammates. Parents should communicate the importance of these values in meetings with prospective coaches and athletic administrators. Student athletes can discuss these values with new team members and in public speaking opportunities.

Best Practices for Athletic Administrators
Best practices for athletic administrators focus on policy development, discrimination prevention, education, enforcement procedures, and consequences. These best practices will be helpful to a wide range of athletic administrators in organisations including colleges and universities, high schools, sport-governing organisations, coaches associations, and sports conferences.

1. If the school does not have an inclusive non-discrimination and harassment policy, work with other school administrators to adopt a policy that includes gender identity and expression.
2. Respect the right to privacy of all student athletes with respect to personal information (including whether a student is transgender) when discussing gender identity and expression and understand that all medical information must be kept confidential in accordance with applicable state, local, and federal privacy laws.
3. Become knowledgeable about school non-discrimination and harassment policies that include gender identity and expression.
4. Include gender identity and expression in departmental non-discrimination statements on all official department documents and web sites.
5. Become aware of state and federal non-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression (see Part 5 Appendix B for a list of relevant federal and state laws).
6. Adopt an effective and fair athletic departmental policy addressing the participation of transgender student athletes that is consistent with school policy and state or federal nondiscrimination laws.
7. Educate all members of the athletic department community (including staff, student athletes, and parents) about departmental and school policy regarding the participation of transgender student athletes in athletics.
8. Educate yourself about transgender identity, preferred terminology, and current scientific perspectives on the participation of transgender student athletes on men`s and women`s sports teams.
9. Work with athletic conferences of which your school is a member to adopt fair and effective policies governing the participation of transgender student athletes.
10. Recommend that your athletic conference sponsor educational programmes for coaches and student athletes on the inclusion of transgender student athletes, preferred terminology, and understanding transgender identity.
11. Recommend that professional associations for athletic administrators sponsor educational programmes on the inclusion of transgender student athletes, preferred terminology, understanding transgender identity, and adopting fair and effective policies.
12. Educate all members of the sports information department about transgender identity, preferred terminology, department policies governing the participation of transgender student athletes, and confidentiality requirements when discussing transgender student athlete participation with the media.

Best Practices for Coaches
Best practices for coaches focus on acquiring knowledge about transgender student athletes, understanding legal and ethical obligations, maintaining professional conduct, and ensuring that those with whom coaches work are also educated and aware of these issues.

1. Become knowledgeable about school non-discrimination and harassment policies that include gender identity and expression
2. Become knowledgeable about departmental and school policy regarding the participation of transgender student athletes in athletics.
3. If your department does not have a policy addressing the participation of transgender student athletes, ask your athletic director to adopt one.
4. Educate student athletes on your team about transgender identity, preferred terminology, and departmental/school policies regarding the participation of transgender student athletes on sports teams.
5. Be prepared to talk with parents of student athletes about transgender student athletes` participation on school teams.
6. Use respectful and preferred language and terminology when discussing transgender student athlete participation or interacting with a transgender student athlete.
7. Anticipate and address transgender student athlete access issues proactively and in accordance with departmental policy regarding locker room use, toilet and shower availability, hotel room assignment, uniforms and dress codes.
8. Recommend that coaches associations to which you belong adopt fair and effective policy statements addressing the participation of transgender student athletes.
9. Recommend that coaches associations to which you belong sponsor educational programmes addressing the participation of transgender student athletes.
10. If you are aware of discriminatory or harassing behavior from opposing teams or spectators based on the perceived or actual gender identity or expression of a student athlete, talk to the opposing coach and ask your athletic director to talk with the opposing school`s athletic director.
11. Respect the right to privacy of all student athletes with respect to personal information (including whether a student is transgender) when discussing gender identity and expression and understand that all medical information must be kept confidential in accordance with applicable state, local, and federal privacy laws.

Best Practices for Student Athletes
Best practices for student athletes who have transgender teammates focus on respectful behaviour, safety, and valuing diversity.

1. Use respectful and preferred language and terminology when discussing transgender student athlete participation or interacting with a transgender student athlete.
2. Become familiar with departmental and school policy governing the participation of transgender student athletes in athletics.
3. Learn about school non-discrimination and harassment policies that include gender identity and expression.
4. Encourage other student athletes to use respectful language when discussing transgender issues in sports or interacting with a transgender student athlete.
5. Respect the right to privacy of all student athletes with respect to personal information (including whether a student is transgender) when discussing gender identity and expression.
6. Ask your coach and athletic director for team and departmental educational training concerning transgender student athlete participation.
7. If taunting or harassment from spectators or opponents occurs during competition, take the approach that these actions are never acceptable for any reason including taunting or harassment based on gender identity or expression. Make your coaches aware of discriminatory or harassing behaviour and ask them to arrange a meeting with the opposing school`s athletic director to address this behaviour.
8. Ask the student athlete advisory council at your school to plan an activity that focuses on the participation of transgender athletes in sports and frame the issue as one of equal opportunity in sports and fair treatment for all.

Best Practices for Parents of Student Athletes
Best practices for parents of student athletes highlight the importance of the role of parents in monitoring athletic department policy and practice to encourage adherence to core principles of fairness for all student athletes.

1. If you are the parent of a transgender student, ask school officials and athletic administrators for their policy on the participation of transgender students in athletic programmes.
2. Encourage athletic administrators to educate coaches, other athletic staff, student athletes, and parents of student athletes about policies and preferred terminology relating to the participation of transgender student athletes on school teams.
3. Talk with your child about the importance of respecting the rights of transgender teammates and understanding transgender identity.
4. If your child is transgender, talk with them about actions to take if she or he is feeling unsafe or is treated disrespectfully.
5. Respect the right to privacy of all student athletes when discussing gender identity and expression and understand that all medical information must be kept confidential in accordance with applicable state, local, and federal privacy laws.
6. If you become aware of discriminatory or harassing behaviour by spectators or participants based on perceived or actual gender identity or expression during competitions, report this behaviour to your school`s athletic director.

Best Practices for Athletic Staff Interacting With Media about Transgender Student Athlete Issues
Best practices for interacting with the media focus on the importance of understanding basic information about transgender identity, preferred terminology, and respecting confidentiality of student athletes.

1. The school or athletic department should provide training to all athletic staff who may interact with the media.
2. Respect the confidentiality of all student athletes when discussing transgender issues with the media and understand that all medical information must be kept confidential in accordance with applicable state, local, and federal privacy laws.
3. Use appropriate language in media interviews or presentations and insist that this terminology be used in media reports on transgender issues in athletics.
4. Focus on the importance of providing equal opportunities for all students to participate in athletics.
5. Describe how departmental policies provide equal opportunities for all students to participate in athletics.

Resources
Print Resources (Books, Articles, Reports)
AthletesCAN, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity, Promising Practices: Working with Transitioned/Transitioning Athletes in Sport (2009).
Including Transitioning and Transitioned Athletes in Sport - Issues, Facts and Perspectives - SUMMARY. Brenda Wagman (February 12, 2009). Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Summary_Transition_Discussion_Paper_FINAL1%20(2).pdf.
Including Transitioning and Transitioned Athletes in Sport - Issues, Facts and Perspectives - DISCUSSION PAPER. Brenda Wagman (February 12, 2009). Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Wagman_discussion_paper_THE_FINAL.pdf.
Working with Transitioning or Transitioned Athletes in Sport - EMERGING THEMES. Rachel Corbett (may 26, 2009). Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Wamsley_lit_review(2).pdf.
Social Science Literature on Sport and Transitioning/Transitioned Athletes - LITERATURE REVIEW. Kevin B. Wamsley (February 2008). Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Wamsley_lit_review(2).pdf.
Do Transitioned Athletes Compete at an Advantage or Disadvantage - LITERATURE REVIEW. Michaela C. Devries (may 18, 2008). Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Devries_lit_review(2).pdf.
Brill, Stephanie, and Rachel Pepper, the Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals (San Francisco: Cleis Press, 2008).
California Safe Schools Coalition, Model School District Policy Regarding Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (2009). Available online at http://www.casafeschools.org/csscmodelpolicy1209.pdf.
Currah, Paisley, Richard m. Juang and Shannon Price Minter, Transgender Rights (minneapolis, mN: University of minnesota Press, 2006).
Gay Straight Alliance Network, the Transgender Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Activism in Schools (2004). Available online at http://transgenderlawcenter.org/pdf/beyond_the_binary.pdf.
Goorin, Louis, and Mathijs Bunck, Transsexuals and Competitive Sports, European Journal of Endocrinology 151 (2004): 425-429. Available online at http://www.eje.org/cgi/reprint/151/4/425.pdf.
Griffin, Pat, Inclusion of Transgender Athletes on Sports Teams, Women`s Sports Foundation (2007).
Greytak, Emily A., Joseph G. Kosciw, and Elizabeth m. Diaz, Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in our Nation`s Schools (2009).
Lambda Legal, Bending the Mold: An Action Kit for Transgender Students (2009). Available online at http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/bending-the-mold/order-bending-the-mold.html.
Movement Advancement Project, Advancing Transgender Equality: A Guide for LGBT Organisations and Funders (2009). Available online at http://www.lgbtmap.org/advancing-transgender-equality.html.
National Center for Transgender Equality, Understanding Transgender: Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People (2009). Available online at http://transequality.org/Resources/NCTE_UnderstandingTrans.pdf.
Steinbach, Paul, Change Candidates, Athletic Business (August 2008). Available online at http://www.athleticbusiness.com/articles/article.aspx?articleid=1817&zoneid=3.
Sykes, Heather, Transsexual and Transgender Policies in Sport, Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal 15:1 (2006): 3-13.
Transgender Law and Policy Institute, Guidelines for Creating Policies for Transgender Children in Recreational Sports (2009). Available online at http://www.transgenderlaw.org/resources/TLPI_GuidlinesforCreatingPoliciesforTransChildreninRecSports.pdf.
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Gender Identity Policy Jim Meyerhoff, Assistant Executive Director 435 main Avenue South, Renton, WA 98057 Office Phone: 425-282-5234 Office E-mail: jmeyerho@wiaa.com
Women`s Sports Foundation, Participation of Transgender Athletes in Women`s Sports: a Women`s Sports Foundation Position Paper (2008).
Organisations/Websites
American Bar Association (ABA)—The ABA opposes discrimination against those who are transgender or gender non-conforming. In 2006, the ABA House of Delegates adopted a recommendation that all federal, state, local and territorial governments enact legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived gender identity or expression, in employment, housing and public accommodations. For more information visit: www.abanet.org/leadership/2006/annual/dailyjournal/hundredtwentytwob.doc.
Advocates for Informed Choice—legal advocacy organisation dedicated to promoting the civil rights of children with intersex conditions or disorders of sex development. www.aiclegal.org.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)—The ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Project fights discrimination and moves public opinion through the courts, legislatures and public education across five issue areas: Relationships, Youth & Schools, Parenting, Gender Identity and Expression and Discrimination in Employment, Housing and other areas. www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights.
American Medical Association (AMA)—The AmA is a medical professional association whose mission is to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. The AmA has adopted a number of policies supporting the right of transgender and gendernon-conforming persons to be free from discrimination on the basis of their gender identity or expression. www.ama-assn.org.
American Psychological Association (APA)—In 2008, the APA Council of Representatives adopted a policy statement supporting “the passage of laws and policies protecting the rights, legal benefits, and privileges of people of all gender identities and expressions;” and as well as supporting “efforts to provide safe and secure educational environments, at all levels of education.” www.apa.org/about/governance/council/policy/transgender.aspx.
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders Transgender Rights Project—Through the Transgender Rights Project (TRP), Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders puts litigation, legislative, and educational assets to work in a focused way to establish clear legal protections for the transgender community. www.glad.org.
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network—The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. www.glsen.org.
Gender Spectrum—Gender Spectrum provides education, training and support to help create a gender sensitive and inclusive environment for all children and teens. www.genderspectrum.org.
It Takes A Team! Education Campaign for LGBT Issues in Sport—A Women`s Sports Foundation initiative, It Takes A Team! Education Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Sport is an education project focused on eliminating homophobia as a barrier to all women and men participating in sport. www.ittakesateam.org.
Lambda Legal—Lambda Legal is a national organisation committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. www.lambdalegal.org.
National Center for Lesbian Rights—NCLR is a national legal organisation committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.nclrights.org.
National Center for Transgender Equality—The National Center for Transgender Equality is a social justice organisation dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people through advocacy, collaboration and empowerment. www.transequality.org.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force—The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the LGBT community by training activists, equipping state and local organisations with the skills needed to organisatione broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organisational capacity of the movement. www.thetaskforce.org.
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays-TNET - The purpose of this special affiliate of PFLAG is to promote the health and well-being of transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG TNET focuses on support for transgender people and their parents, families, and friends; education on transgender facts and issues; and advocacy for equal rights for the transgender community at local and national levels. www.pflag.org/tnet.
Transgender Law Center—Transgender Law Center (TLC) connects transgender people and their families to culturally competent legal services, increases acceptance and enforcement of laws and policies that support California`s transgender communities, and works to change laws and systems that fail to incorporate the needs and experiences of transgender people. www.transgenderlawcenter.org.
Transgender Law and Policy Institute—Transgender Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to engaging in effective advocacy for transgender people in our society. The TLPI brings experts and advocates together to work on law and policy initiatives designed to advance transgender equality. www.transgenderlaw.org.
World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)—WPATH is an international, interdisciplinary organisation of professionals from fields of psychiatry, endocrinology, surgery, law, psychology, sociology, and counseling. WPATH publishes the internationally recognized Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders, an evolving consensus on best practice in the provision of medical treatments for individuals with Gender Identity Disorder. www.wpath.org.
Videos
Straightlaced: How Gender`s Got Us All Tied Up
Straightlaced: How Gender`s Got Us All Tied Up takes a powerful and intimate look at how popular pressures around gender and sexuality are shaping the lives of American teens. The film proudly showcases the diverse and unscripted voices of more than 50 high school students from a variety of different communities, all of whom speak with breathtaking honesty, insight, and humor about gender roles and their struggles to be who they really are. more information on the film is available at www.groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/straightlaced.
Contact
Dr. Pat Griffin
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, USA
Email: griffin@educ.umass.edu
Helen J. Carroll
Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Sports Project
USA
Email: hcarroll@nclrights.org

[1] For a more complete list of definitions and terms related to transgender people, refer to Appendix A.
[2] Gender Spectrum, “A Word About Words” available online at http://www.genderspectrum.org/images/stories/Resources/Family/A_Word_About_Words.pdf.
[3] Intersex Society of North America, “What`s the difference between being transgender or transsexual and having an intersex condition?” Available online at http://www.isna.org/faq/transgender.
[4] Advocates for Informed Choice, General Brochure, available online at http://aiclegal.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/aic-brochure.pdf.
[5] See, e.g., Emily A. Greytak, Joseph G. Kosciw, and Elizabeth m. Diaz, Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, harsh realities: the experiences of transgender Youth in our nation`s Schools (2009). Available online at http://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHmENTS/file/000/001/1375-1.pdf. Despite this evidence of growing numbers, the decision to provide equal opportunity should not be based on the number of transgender students who want to play sports. Even the smallest minority of students deserves the opportunity to participate in all school-sponsored programmes.
[6] International Olympic Committee, Statement of the Stockholm consensus on Sex reassignment in Sport (2003), http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_905.pdf.
[7] Lisa mottet, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and National Center for Transgender Equality, “Preliminary Findings of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey” (2010).
[8] Alice Dreger, “Sex Typing for Sport,” Hastings Center Report (march-April 2010).
[9] Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper, the transgender child: a handbook for families and Professionals (San Francisco: Cleis Press, 2008).
[10] World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the harry Benjamin International Gender dysphoria association`s Standards of care for Gender Identity disorders, Sixth Version (2001). Available online at http://www.wpath.org/documents2/socv6.pdf.
[11] In addition, what counts as a competitive advantage may shift dramatically depending on the sport. What is an advantage in one context may be a disadvantage in another. For example, factors such as height, weight, reaction time, and proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers all affect competitive advantage depending on the sport. A female volleyball player may be very tall, and yet few people would consider that to be an unfair competitive advantage in her sport. Similarly, a male swimmer may have a naturally high hemoglobin count enabling him to take in more oxygen, but he is not barred from swimming for that reason. Sarah Teetzel, “On Transgendered Athletes, Fairness and Doping: An International Challenge,” Sport in Society: cultures, commerce, media, Politics, 1743-0445, Volume 9, Issue 2 (2006) Pages 227 – 251.
[12] Assuming that boys have an automatic advantage over girls is particularly false with respect to prepubescent children, where gender plays virtually no role in determining relative athletic ability. For that reason, we strongly recommend that school and recreational sports adopt the policy recommended by the Transgender Law and Policy Institute and endorsed by Gender Spectrum. Transgender Law and Policy Institute, Guidelines for creating Policies for transgender children in recreational Sports (2009).
[13] Brenda Wagman, Promising Practices: Working with Transitioning/Transitioned Athletes in Sport Project, AthletesCAN, Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport, and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, Including transitioning and transitioned athletes in Sport: Issues, facts and Perspectives (2009). Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Wagman_discussion_paper_THE_FINAL.pdf.
[14] Michaela C. Devries, “Do Transitioned Athletes Compete at an Advantage or Disadvantage as compared with Physically Born men and Women: A review of the Scientific Literature” (may 18, 2008). Including Transitioning and Transitioned Athletes, supra note 13. Available online at http://www.caaws.ca/e/resources/pdfs/Wagman_discussion_paper_THE_FINAL.pdf.
[15] Erin Buzuvis, “Caster Semenya and the myth of the Level Playing Field.” Social Science research network (2009). Available online at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1521674.
[16] Joe Leigh Simpson et al, “Gender Verification in the Olympics,” JAmA (2000); 284: 1568-1569; see also Sex Typing for Sport, supra note 8.
[17] Kirk mango, ”The Benefits of Competitive Athletic Sports Participation in Today`s Sports Climate,” Chicago now (February 16, 2010). Available online at http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/athletes-sports-experience/2010/02/the-benefits-of-competitive-athletic-sports-participation-in-todays-sports-climate.html.
[18] Harsh Realities, supra note 3.
[19] Transgender Law and Policy Institute, Guidelines for creating Policies for transgender children in recreational Sports (2009). Online at http://www.transgenderlaw.org/resources/TLPI_GuidlinesforCreatingPoliciesforTransChildreninRecSports.pdf; Gender Spectrum, “School Policies and the Law: School Sports,” available online at http://www.genderspectrum.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=38.
[20] Recent research indicates that most salient physical changes likely to affect athletic performance occur during the first year of hormone treatment making a longer waiting period unnecessary. Goorin, Louis, and Mathijs Bunck, “Transsexuals and Competitive Sports,” European Journal of endocrinology 151 (2004): 425-429. Available online at http://www.eje.org/cgi/reprint/151/4/425.pdf 28

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