On Sept. 26, U Sports announced it would implement a policy to allow student athletes to compete on sports teams that correspond to their gender identity, rather than only their sex assigned at birth. This is perhaps the boldest move the organization has made since its rebranding, and one of the most important policies they have made to date.
If you have ever been a competitive athlete, there was most likely a point in time where you overheard conversations between players and coaches concerning gender and sexuality in sports. Yes, there is a reason why there are separate teams for women and men in sports. However, this doesn’t mean there can’t be certain exceptions when it comes to who can play for what team.
Simply put, transgender athletes should be given the chance to compete on the sports team that correlates with the gender they identify as. U Sports’ policy is a good step towards increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in athletics.
For many professional leagues—including university or college leagues—it won’t always be that easy. And in certain cases, it might never happen without drastic changes. Whether you’re straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, an athlete’s presence on a team should all come down to one factor—how can they make the team better?
Changing sports culture can be difficult, and this U Sports policy is a stepping stone for other leagues to follow suit.
