Editorial: Does gender diversity belong in sport? Hint: Yes

Emily Bridges, formerly known as Zach, has been controversially competing as a trans athlete in the United Kingdom over the past two years. Photo / Getty Images, File

EDITORIAL

Standing on the sidelines over countless Saturday mornings, many parents quietly harbour dreams of elite sporting stardom for their children – some of us, not so quietly. Those hopeful ambitions can be a distorting prism in the current debate about transgender rights.

There are complicated conversations being had around the involvement of transgender women in top-flight sport. But the significance of those conversations does not outweigh the value of inclusion.

Public discussion about transgender women in sport focuses disproportionately on a sense of fairness around access to the top levels and on needless scaremongering about safety in contact sport.

Every day, trans kids – and often others in the LGBTQ+ community – face bullying and stigmatisation. It’s a reality far removed from talk of Olympic podiums; it’s a reality that can have devastating outcomes.

If you believe sport is a good thing – something that makes kids healthier of mind, body and spirit – then you must believe that getting kids out there playing sport should be the grandest of ideals. But for those who view kids’ sport as nothing more than a pathway to the top, it’s easy to lose sight of the value of inclusion.

Far more common than a trans woman beating a cis woman to a place on the podium, is a trans kid shying away from interaction with their peers. A vulnerable kid becoming more vulnerable.

Our trans friends and whānau need and deserve our support – and they must be part of the game.