The importance of including trans athletes
(03/16/21 4:00am)
As a queer cis woman, I loved being a part of my high school’s varsity swim team. The pool was a place of acceptance, expressing my emotions productively, and discipline. I learned so much about confidence, teamwork, friendly competition, and myself. And the team… they were family. When I was struggling with depressive episodes and panic attacks, my team was there to support and encourage me. When I came out, my coach and teammates asked how they could be allies. Yet for far too many trans athletes across the country, sports are a place of feeling ostracized and unwelcome. I could not imagine the pain of even missing a year participating in the sport you love due to transphobia.