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50 trans and non-binary athletes have released an open letter with the advocacy group Athlete Ally, to the National College Athletic Association following the organization’s decision to host softball championships in states that signed laws to ban trans atheletes from participating in sports.
As current and former members of the NCAA, the trans and non-binary athletes wrote that they were deeply disappointed, given that the organization had claimed to “firmly and unequivocally support” the trans community last month, after weeks of silence on the legislative attacks.
“Your actions speak louder than your words: you are not protecting the rights of trans and non-binary athletes to participate,” the letter from May 26th reads. “We will not be silent as you perform your allyship to the world only to turn around and support those hurting trans athletes.”
The athletes point out that the NCAA followed their portrayed values in 2016, when the organization pulled seven championship events when North Carolina passed an anti-trans bill.
But now the organization’s refusing to uphold their own anti-discrimination policy by hosting events in Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, which are among the states targeting trans and non-binary athletes with sports bans and invasive examinations.
“The bills typically require that, if anyone—a teammate, opponent, parent or other—calls an athlete’s gender into question, in order to compete in girls and women’s sports, they must provide proof in the form of a genital exam from a doctor, a genetics test indicating XX chromosomes or a hormone test,” Sports Illustrated reports.
A record number of anti-trans bills have been introduced in the United States legislative sessions this year. From the 117 bills attacking transgender rights, a majority target trans youth’s access to healthcare and sports — 31 states introduced bills aimed at banning trans athletes from fully participating in sports.
In a list of questions, the athletes ask NCAA: “How will you ensure a discrimination-free and welcoming environment for student-athletes while holding championships in states that have banned transgender student-athletes from participating in sports? And, as in the case of Tennessee, have also passed anti-trans bathroom bills?”
https://www.athleteally.org/athlete-ally-letter-trans-nonbinary-ncaa/