I started transitioning just over two years ago in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. I haven't been able to play a lot of volleyball after that, just because of the general state of the world.

We're at an unprecedented time as far as anti-trans legislation goes, especially when it comes to queer youth and trans youth and many others who are athletes.

Sports is my safe place. Sports is my haven. Sports is my go-to. It’s where I release and get away from the world. I want to make sure that space is accessible to all athletes, whether they're kids or adults.

I'm a board member of the North American Gay Volleyball Association, which is technically a men's league, but open to all genders. As being part of the board, I'm able to make moves, so we’re expanding to become more inclusive.

We're pushing towards having a Women's League, and I use the word ‘women’ loosely just because with the United States Association there's either men's or women's.

Within the expansion of the North American Gay Volleyball Association, we are not policing gender at all. Our bylaws, rules and regulations will be written so that we're not gonna police who considers themselves a woman, when it comes to hormones, surgeries, or other forms of gender-affirming care.

We're not in that business. We just want to create a safe place for trans athletes, for women, for whoever wants to play sports and be surrounded by queer people.

Not that I'm super old – I'm almost 32 – but I think that as I'm playing less just because my body's getting older, that I am transitioning (no pun intended) into a more facilitating role. I'm spreading the word, sharing my journey and advocating more.

I've been focusing on NAGVA and expanding our presence to make it so that we're representing our entire community.

[As told to @Ragi Gupta — continued: https://www.pixstory.com/story/degendersports-we-need-to-be-taking-care-of-our-trans-youth-and-our-trans-people1679539478/202968]