top of page

Recreation League Policies

It's one thing to be a league which welcomes LGBTQ players, but it's entirely different to be a league with specific attention to inclusion of trans athletes. This includes considering how a league registers its participants, locker room and changing areas, and how play is classified in regards to gender.

 

I'm currently looking for leagues that fit this profile to feature as examples for other leagues looking to improve trans inclusion. If your league has specific policies, procedures, or wording which promotes and specifies trans inclusion, submit it here for inclusion on this site. 

 

 

Canada

New Zealand

Cycling New Zealand

"Cycling New Zealand and its members must not restrict the participation of a transsexual person in competitive sport unless this is strictly necessary to uphold fair or safe competition; any other restriction would amount to direct discrimination.

 

Cycling New Zealand and its members should treat a transsexual person as belonging to the sex in which they present (as opposed to the biological sex they were born with) unless this might give the transsexual person an unfair advantage, or would be a risk to the safety of competitors. Any negative effect of restricting the participation of transsexual people must be mitigated as far as possible, to permit as much inclusion as is fair and safe.

 

Cycling New Zealand recognises that consistency with UCI’s position is appropriate for international and national competition. UCI have adopted the “Guidelines on sex reassignment” adopted by the IOC in November 2015 – see Appendix 2. Cycling New Zealand will therefore adopt the IOC’s statement with regards to transsexual athletes and their status in international competitions."

 

DOWNLOAD: Cycling New Zealand Transgender and Transsexual Policy

United States

Western States Endurance Run

logo_Western_States_Endurance_Run_patch.

The Western States Endurance Run (WSER) created a "Transgender Entrant Policy" in May 2019 to "establish rules to encourage and facilitate the participation of transgender runners at WSER with the goal of ensuring fair and inclusive practices that respect the personal rights and dignity of transgender entrants while preserving the integrity of competition for awards and records based on sex." The rules state:

1. A male-to-female transgender entrant can register to compete as a female provided the runner has been undergoing continuous, medically supervised hormone treatment for gender transition for at least one year prior to the race. 

2. A female-to-male transgender entrant can register to compete as a male with no restrictions. The only exception is female-to-male transgender runners can no longer register to compete as a female if they have begun hormone treatment related to their gender transition that includes testosterone or any other banned substance.

A runner’s self-declared gender at registration will be accepted at face value. In the event of a challenge of one's eligibility, WSER has a process outlined for handling investigations of eligibility.

 

DOWNLOAD: WSER Transgender Entrant Policy 2019

LGBTQ Leagues

International Gay and Lesbian Football Association

International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) opens its membership to all football/soccer players, coaches, managers, trainers and referees “without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex, physical or mental ability, marital status, race, color, nationality, religion or age”.

 

For the purposes of registration on gender-based teams, a player may register with the gender team with which the player identifies. The IGLFA must received sufficient confirmation and be satisfied by documentation or evidence that shows the stated gender is sincerely held, and is part of a person’s core identity.

 

DOWNLOAD: IGLFA Transgender Policy

Big Apple Softball

The Big Apple Softball League (BASL) is a not for profit adult community based sports organization, created to provide and protect the opportunity for adult individuals who support the bonds of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender fellowship to play softball in a safe environment of friendly competition, free of discrimination on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

This organization has no specific policy for transgender athletes but includes them without restriction.

Front Runners NY

logo_frontrunners_ny.jpg

Front Runners NY's primary purpose is to provide encouragement and support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) adults and their supporters who are interested in running and running related activities. Membership is open to adults 18 years and older who wish to join without regard to age, athletic ability, ancestry, color, disability, ethnic background, familial status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, or sexual orientation.​

This organization has no specific policy for transgender athletes but includes them without restriction.

Knickerbocker Sailing Association

logo_ksa-2012-circleV2.png

Knickerbocker Sailing Association is a non-profit gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender boating club in New York City.

Out to Swim - UK

logo_outtoswim.png

Out to Swim is an Aquatics Club for adults based in London, Brighton and Bristol. Most of our members are LGBT, although we welcome all adults with an interest in aquatic sport, including disabled swimmers. All we ask is that members show equal respect to each other, irrespective of any difference in age, sexual orientation, gender, faith, ethnic origin, nationality, or on any other grounds.

This organization has no specific policy for transgender athletes but includes them without restriction.

Players Sport & Social Group

logo-players-sports.png

Players Sport & Social Group is one of the largest and best providers of adult recreational sports leagues, tournaments and social events in Chicago. Following a 2019 incident, the group clarified its policy on transgender athletes to be the following: 

“Every individual participating in a Players Sports and Social Group program may compete as a member of the gender that they identify with; regardless of their gender at birth. We expect all players to be respectful and honor the spirit of this policy. Players Sport and Social Group is a LGBTQIA+ friendly (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other gender identities/expressions)."

US LGBT Soccer

US LGBT Soccer promotes gender inclusion by allowing people to self-identify. The gender that a player identifies with is considered to be that player’s gender. 

 

LINK: US LGBT Soccer Transgender Inclusion Policy

bottom of page