Want to welcome trans, intersex and gender diverse members to your sports club? Or maybe you already have member of the LGBTIQ community in your club and want to ensure they feel included and safe?
I recently spoke at the Diversity and Inclusion in Sport Forum about the Flying Bat's Women's Football Club's Gender and Sex Diversity Policy. Read and watch the talk here: http://daniellewarby.com/trans-gender-diverse-intersex-sport-policy/
This policy is very progressive and differs significantly from the policies of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Football Federation Australia (FFA).
You are welcome to download the Flying Bat's Women's Football Club's Gender and Sex Diversity Policy and use it as a template to create your own.
https://www.theflyingbats.com/gender-sex-diversity-policy/
2. Our position
The Flying Bats FC is committed to a safe, fair and inclusive sporting
environment, where all persons, regardless of gender identity or intersex status
can contribute, participate, and be treated fairly with dignity and respect. We
believe in promoting football for all.
We are a women's club, but we recognise that gender isn't binary, and not all
people are, or identify as, female or male, women or men. We also acknowledge
that strong evidence exists that trans, gender diverse and intersex people face
significant barriers to participation in sport, and when they do participate,
frequently face discrimination and harassment. We aim to do what we can as a
club to overcome this.
3. Who are we and how did we get here?
"It was just sort of amazing in those first few years how open and accepting and
how diverse the whole team was"
Ingrid, player c1986
"I think it's gone from where, we're a group of lesbians that want to play soccer, to
actually we're providing quite an important support resource to people"
Anna, player 2002 onwards, life member.
4. Why did we need a policy?
“In general FFA will facilitate Transgender persons participating in football with the
gender with which they identify”
Football Federation Australia Member Protection Policy*
“transgression from … norms around gender and sexuality is punished in sport,
and particularly in team sport”
Come Out To Play
*2015
5. Key points to our policy
FBFC will facilitate registrations from players who identify as women, including
trans and intersex women.
FBFC will facilitate registrations from players who do not identify as women if they:
● are trans, gender diverse (including non-binary and genderqueer) or intersex;
and
● would not feel comfortable or safe playing for a club other than FBFC, and
their exclusion from the club would result in their exclusion from the sport.