Gender, Inclusion, Community, Health, Sport and Empowerment
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University of Toronto – Faculty of Physical Education and Health
February 14th, 2011
Guest Lecturer: 4th Year Ethics Class
Title of the lecture:
Ethical and Intellectual Activists: Views on Normalization
For Other Speaking Engagements Information “Click Here”
Inclusion First is a non-profit organization with a lofty mission to include more people today than yesterday. The acronym IF encourages people to explore the possibilities of a more humane and healthy world. We provide project funding to other organizations who make inclusion part of their organizational identity. We will encourage and celebrate success. That’s it, simple really.
Come learn more, and JOIN our team to make in a difference.
Transgender Student-Athletes and Sex-Segregated Sport: Developing Policies of Inclusion for Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Athletics
Erin Buzuvis
Western New England College School of Law – July 20, 2010
Download Complete Research Document “PDF” CLICK HERE
Abstract:
Educators have long recognized the physical, psychological, social, and educational benefits that sport provides to students. Yet today, the barriers to athletic participation that exclude the increasingly visible population of transgender students are largely ignored. With a few notable exceptions, most governing bodies of scholastic and collegiate sports have yet to meaningfully consider how to incorporate transgender students into the existing athletic structure, which for the most part divides male and female athletes into separate programs. Many athletes and sport organizers assume that transgender athletes have an unfair advantage when they compete in sports consistent with their gender identity, whether due to residual, natural physical traits associated with their natal sex (in the case of male-born, female-identified athletes), or with the hormone therapy transition (in the case of female-born, male-identified athletes). At the same time, transgender students may be excluded, discouraged, or simply feel uncomfortable participating in athletics programs that match the sex of their birth but which are inconsistent with their gender identity and gender expression. As a result, for students whose gender identity is inconsistent with their natal sex, the entire sex-segregated world of athletics may be formally or effectively off limits.
A few associations of educational institutions have responded to this problem by adopting policies governing transgender athlete participation. After describing, contrasting, and evaluating these policies, this Article concludes that the best policies are those that, as a general rule, allow athletes to participate in sex-segregated sport in a manner consistent with their gender identity rather than their natal sex. In support of this conclusion, this paper will show that neither law nor science gives clear, dispositive guidance to policymakers seeking to balance the right of transgender athletes to participate with the perceived fairness concerns related to their cross-sex participation. Thus, educational considerations should play a primary role in creating participation policies. These considerations include the physical, academic, and socio-emotional benefits to individual athletes as well as the value that diversity brings to teams, schools, and communities. To best serve these goals, which educators claim as the basis for educationally-supported athletics in the first place, policies governing secondary school and college athletics should allow athletes to participate in a manner consistent with their genuine gender identity. Any exceptions or limitations to this default rule must be made with educational values in mind, and must be narrowly tailored to demonstrable, concrete concerns about fairness.
Published February 8th, 2011
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Dear Mr. Dolan,
I have a couple of questions for you – I was quite interested in your response to CNN – reading over morning coffee.
Could you explain, how one Mianne is established in the European Tour? She in-fact broke through (2) tours to participate as a female in professional golf. As well have been working with ALL tours over the last couple of years very progressively -
Could you as well explain your comment when you spoke about Mianne;
“The view from the top always looks rosier”
You never knowing Mianne, moreover her life experience to over the last (8) years what she has experienced and the level of hate she has had to overcome to play the game she is so passionate about. I would suggest you use GOOGLE as a starting point, before you make such comment;
Yet again you are incorrect – and have been working with all (5) tours on this, and Anti-doping… Mianne has made enormous progress for golf, and is why she is so supported and loved by ALL tours, including the LPGA. As well an educator and well supported amongst national, International, Olympic and Anti-doping circles… Engaging ALL sport around diversity and normal human difference which impacts each one of us -
So it is clear, as a collective we are working with International sport, Olympic, International and anti-doping partners US and European meeting/collaborating over the next few months to bring global change, led by Canada. This will no longer be an issue in sport as the goals are focused for 2011, prior to London Olympics in 2012. As 2012, will have the most diverse participation in any games history to date.
This is what Mianne Bagger has done – at great risk to her personally and her professional career. She unselfishly has sacrificed herself for the betterment of others.
She(our) focus is much different then yours and your clients. We made clear to you several times, we are NOT the same nor do we support your agenda, and clearly it is personal, and NOT reflective of greater interest of sport, women and of diversity.
