Inclusive Growth: Creating Space for Trans Players Craig Kulyk (Marketing Manager) Troë Weston (League Manager)
Jenna Weiner
Why it's important
Made fun of for being Trans 27% 73% Ref: Trans Pulse Survey (2006-2013)
Heard Trans People Were Not Normal 4% 96% Ref: Trans Pulse Survey 2006-2013
Ever considered suicide 23% 77% Ref: Trans Pulse Survey (2006-2013)
The Good News Ref: Trans Pulse Survey (2006-2013)
Ultimate can lead.
What Can We Do?
What We Can Do ● Open ● Welcome ● Listen (to trans players) ● Start
Open – Understanding Gender
Open – Understanding Gender
Open – Understanding Gender
Welcome - Language ● Cisgender Gender identity or expression is the SAME from sex assigned at birth ● ● Transgender Gender identity or expression DIFFERS from sex assigned at birth ● ● Trans man Assigned woman to man ● ● Trans woman Assigned man to woman ● ● Non-binary doesn't identify as man or woman. Still considered under trans umbrella ●
Welcome - Language ● Pronouns ● He/Him/His ● She/Her/Her ● They/Them/Their
Welcome - Language ● LGBTQ+/ LGBTQ2S+ ● The VUL has made policy changes ● Instead of “The VUL has a trans policy”
Strategic Plan FOUR PILLARS – for our focus until 2021 LEADERSHIP REGIONAL YOUTH ADULT SUPPORT • share • teach spirit knowledge • support • satisfaction • promote • support coaches • life-long and improve development • life-long community inclusivity community • positive • resources community initiatives SPIRIT, FACILITIES, COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, SPIRIT, FACILITIES, COMMUNICATION, HUMAN RESOURCES, GOVERNANCE COLLABORATION, HUMAN RESOURCES, GOVERNANCE Foundations supporting all Pillars
Our Process – Timeline Listen/Start Apr 2016 Jun-Aug 2016 Sep 2016 Decision to move Jan 2017 Apr 2017 Qmunity Research! First full staff towards inclusivity Final report from Staff training (other sports, meeting with and start now! Qmunity submitted session with other ulti orgs, etc) Qmunity Qmunity June 2016 Aug 2016 Feb 2017 Apr 2017 Oct – Dec 2016 Reached out to Qmunity lead Timeline for launch Discussions with Captain’s meeting Qmunity! focus group decided Qmunity and and discussion working on plan And Finally…..
Our Process Listen/Start We were ready to fully launch our website updates in August 2017 on Pride Weekend!
Changes the VUL has Made Approach: You are an expert on yourself – therefore you decide which gender you identify with.
Changes the VUL has Made 1) User Profiles New question! Added options to the gender field
Changes the VUL has Made 2) League Play • “Gender” field on Susan Bobbie rosters has Jean changed to “Gender Susan Smith Matching” (while Carol King Jane Doe gender identity Eleanor Rigby remains private) Mary Jane • Rosa Parks Troe Weston • The Gender Ratio on Bobbie Smith the field remains Frank Herbert the same – Craig Kulyk endzone chooses Roger Federer John Doe 4/3 women or Albert Einstein men matching Barak Obama Michael Jordan players Terry Cruz
Changes the VUL has Made 3) Other Services - Women-only clinics and leagues are now updated to highlight that trans women are welcome to attend - Discounts given to groups or 2 or 3 registering with women are now given to groups with ‘women matching’ players instead - Annual awards used to be one ‘male’ and one ‘female’, now they are awarded to 2 people of different genders
Changes the VUL has Made 4) Website Content We removed language from our website that reinforces gender binaries and replaced it with more inclusive language
Listen/Start – Moving Forward ● Reach out to Trans community to play ● Ongoing communication to members ● Feedback from trans players ● Continue training and education for staff ● Formal Media response
Ultimate Canada’s Inclusion Policy
UC Inclusion Policy Background • Desire to be proactive • Worked with Sport Law Strategy Group • Different factors for a NSO than leagues or P/TSOs • Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) guidelines
CCES Guidelines • Creating Inclusive Environments for Trans Participants in Canadian Sport 1. Development/Recreation sport athletes: – Should be able to “Participate in the gender with which they identify“ – No disclosure requirement beyond cisgender requirements – No requirement for hormonal therapy or surgery
CCES Guidelines 2. High-performance athletes (once international rules apply) – Should not require hormone therapy unless the sport organization can prove that hormone therapy is a reasonable and bona fide requirement – Not a requirement for Ultimate
CCES Guidelines 3. Transgender identity disclosure – No requirement unless there is a justified reason requiring them to do so – Generally, no requirement for Ultimate 4. High-performance surgical intervention – Should not be required to participate in high- performance sport
Final Notes • Exception clause. Rules apply to regulations UC controls. May be different rules for WFDF events. • Actions for inclusion – Challenge: Online registration • Summary: Athletes can participate in UC programs in the gender category of their choosing – Human rights issue
What you can do 1) Use inclusive language and promotion
What you can do 2) Engage with LGBTQ+ groups and players
What you can do 3) Change your policies and processes
What you can do 4) Listen to trans players
What you can do 5) Discuss next year at UCC
Arkell's Message “Reading the VUL statement that you posted today was incredibly impactful for me. It actually brought me to tears (which isn’t all that common). As a trans identified person, I feel like I’ve had to compromise my identity in a really significant way in order to play the game that I love. This really, really, really sucks. The thought that there is somewhere out there where my identity and my spot on the field don’t have to be in conflict is assuring. THANK-YOU (and thanks to the others who contributed to this work)!!”
Questions 1) What's the first step you will take in your community? 2) What challenges are you concerned about?
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