Group Aims to Protect Trans Athletes

In a report issued this week, a think tank spearheaded by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Women's Sports Foundation urged that school administrators adopt concrete inclusion policies for transgender athletes.

"There are more and more transgender children today who, even at young ages, are allowed to live their lives in alignment with who they are," Stephanie Brill, executive director of Gender Spectrum, said in the report. "As it becomes common medical procedure to allow these children to transition in childhood, athletic policies need to reflect this change in the landscape of student athletes."

The report, available here, recommends high school and collegiate administrators adopt standard policies for transgender athlete participation, including respecting the privacy of a student, incorporating gender identity language in nondiscrimination policies, and proactively addressing access issues that may arise with respect to locker room use, uniforms, and dress codes.

"No student athlete should ever be turned away from a team because an athletic department hasn't established policies that would allow them to participate," NCLR sports project director Helen Carroll said.