Sport for all

Participating in sport is a human right. Everybody has the right to access safe and welcoming sport clubs and environments, regardless if they are a volunteer, player, coach, official, or spectator. Some members of society do not always have access to be able to play sport, or face significant barriers in being able to play. This can be for a variety of reasons, including: exclusive or restrictive policies, cost, and discrimination. Trans and gender diverse people are a minority group who are currently experiencing a number of challenges and barriers in being able to play sport. 

This resource provides support to community sport clubs and their staff, volunteers and participants, in their practices and behaviours to ensure trans and gender diverse people are included and welcomed. 

Gender terminology is constantly evolving and may be new for some readers. The Australian Sports Commission’s commonly used terms provides explanations of some of the common terminology used throughout this resource.

The basics

  • Trans and gender diverse people are part of LGBTIQA+ or rainbow communities. They are individuals whose gender identity does not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth. There are several identities and terms associated with the trans and gender diverse umbrella, and these can be but not limited to: trans men, trans women, non-binary people, and people who are genderqueer or gender fluid. Ultimately, this means that they have diverse genders, which sometimes fall outside of traditional understandings of rigid binary gender, for example boy/girl or man/woman.
  • Unfortunately, trans and gender diverse communities face many barriers engaging with sport and being physically active. These communities experience high rates of discrimination and vilification. This is also heightened with divisive and unfair media coverage, political attacks on trans women playing in sport, and restrictive policies which seek to limit or exclude trans and gender diverse people from playing at various levels of competition. This discrimination can lead to a variety of challenges for trans and gender diverse people, which affect their mental, social, and physical health.
  • Sporting clubs  can provide a safe space and opportunity for trans and gender diverse people to feel supported, welcomed, and connected to their local communities. Recent research has shown that when trans and gender diverse people play sport and do physical activity in supportive clubs, it positively impacts their lives and reduces feelings of isolation, and depression and anxiety. Clubs can also benefit, as undertaking steps to ensure equity for all genders, means that all club members feel confident to express themselves how they wish, and not be impacted by harmful gender stereotypes.
  • It is against the law to discriminate against another person on the basis of their gender identity in sport (including sport-related services such as coaching), unless an exception applies. An example of an exception could be around safety, but even when it could be applied, it does not always need to be. Sports clubs have obligations and a duty of care to minimise harm and take steps to ensure trans and gender diverse people are treated equally. 

Ways a club can be inclusive

If someone identifies as trans or gender diverse (or is beginning to or going through this process), there are some easy steps to ensure they are included. The first step is to ask the person or people how they can be best supported. 

  • Help your club and committee become informed on trans and gender diverse communities: This could happen in various ways, for example, through engagement with resources, information, fact sheets and explainers, or online and in person education by a LGBTIQA+ organisation. It is ok to not feel confident or not know much about trans and gender diverse people and their identities, and there is help out there. Check out some of the links throughout this document for access to resources. For example, the LGBTIQA+ sport and active recreation organisation Proud2Play has a range of resources on their website.
  • Ensure you have relevant policies and processes in place: Having an up-to-date policy is extremely important so that club members have access to the correct information to inform their decision making and provide to club members. This policy may relate to areas such as playing eligibility and decisions around the inclusion and safety of trans and gender diverse people, especially young people. There are responsibilities under child safety standards to protect children and young people from harassment and discrimination.
  • Values driven inclusion policies and practices at your club: When developing relevant policies, and promoting inclusive practices and processes, ensure that values driven messaging drives the culture and practices at your club. Such values driven messaging could mean that ‘everyone who wants to play, gets to play’. Seek support in developing relevant policies. This might include developing policies in conjunction with your league, State Sport Organisation, or an LGBTIQA+ organisation such as Proud2Play or Pride in Sport. It is important to have an overarching club DEI policy, and you can use the template on the Play By The Rules website. There are also templates for developing trans and gender diverse inclusion policies in sport.
  • Ensure names and pronouns are accurate: Include correct pronouns in conversation, documentation and systems (such as employment documents), team lists and rosters. If you make a mistake, it’s best to apologise promptly and move on. Pronouns are words used to describe a person other than their name, such as he/him, she/her, or they/ them. Other gender neutral pronouns exist, often across different cultures and countries. It is important for clubs to remember that using correct pronouns for all club members is important, because we may make assumptions about people’s gender. With increased online activity too, and gender neutral names, it is important to check first what pronouns a person uses.
  • Small steps can lead to important inclusion: Ensuring registration forms are inclusive of people and players of all genders is important. This can be done by offering options which include: woman/ girl, boy/ man, non-binary, gender diverse, I use a different term, or prefer not say. Consider if traditional binary sex competitions are necessary, or mixed gender competitions or teams could be helpful (especially when the emphasis is on community participation and fun). Further, providing all gender toilets, and using inclusive language, are all small steps which can lead to significant impacts of experiencing inclusion for trans and gender diverse people. The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissions’ resource can guide clubs around what to do in particular sport-based scenarios around trans and gender diverse inclusion.

Thing to consider

Some more specific things to consider for your club:

  • Avoid asking about medical or personal information unless it’s necessary for a non-discriminatory purpose. This could be unlawful. We do not ask invasive and personal questions to other club members, so we should avoid asking them to trans and gender diverse people?
  • Only collect medical or personal information with consent of the individual (or their family if a child), and make sure you protect the person’s privacy. It may mean that you need to liaise with your relevant State Sport Organisation or even your registration provider, to ensure that you are not asking for any unnecessary information.
  • Always ask if someone is comfortable discussing their gender identity or transition/affirmation. Never discuss someone’s gender identity or transition/affirmation with anyone else unless you have explicit permission. This could risk ‘outing’ the person and may cause them harm.
  • Always encourage and enforce respectful communication and language between everyone at your club. Keeping up to date with language and terminology can be difficult, so resources and language guides can be helpful. 

Trans and gender diverse people, especially young people, want to play sport and be part of community sport clubs like everyone else. Sports clubs are important places where friendships and support systems are made and nurtured. When trans and gender diverse communities are included and made to feel welcome, everyone benefits where all members of the community get to access the positive outcomes that regular sport participation can lead to.

The Guidelines for the inclusion of trans and gender diverse people in sport, provides comprehensive information, including policy, legal, and a duty of care obligations, to help guide practices for the inclusion of trans and gender diverse people in sport. This resource will provide clubs with more information.