Sports and physical activity | Transgender, non-binary and gender diverse children

Three transgender people and one parent of a trans man we surveyed, shared reflections on engaging in sport and physical activity: 

‘I do karate, ultimate frisbee, roller derby and rock climbing. In these sports, I have had supportive coaches who have not blinked or second-guessed, entering me into competitions in divisions that match my gender identity. All my coaches have understood that I have just wanted to be the best I could be in that sport no matter my gender identity’
– Liam (35yo trans man, he/his)

‘I was a very physical child and played lots of sport until about the age of 11/12. I used to play basketball weekly and quit when they were separated into male and female. I had nil interest in playing female basketball. I used to be obsessed with soccer growing up, always playing in my yard with friends, learning trick shots, and watching videos/games, but I never actually played soccer competitively because it was separated into gendered sports. I never had a desire or interest in playing sports with females.’
– Bodhi (28yo trans man, he/his)

‘Our child was fortunate to enter a new social and sporting community (roller skating) having transitioned and was able to establish their identity without the history as someone else.’
– Daniel (father of an 18yo trans man)

‘Most sports I do don’t involve contact or are not team sports’. 
– Nina (trans woman, she/hers)

‘Growing older, I struggled to commit to physical activity, I attended the gym with a PT for a few years but after not receiving the male physique I desired I left because it didn’t seem obtainable. After commencing on HRT, I found great pleasure in multiple sports, including rock climbing, running and gym. While I won’t apply for a men’s rugby team because I’m aware my frame/stature isn’t suited, I would still explore a mixed soccer/netball team for some fun. I think the connection to sport and physical activity also increased as my body started to become more aligned with my gender and it just felt so euphoric working towards getting big biceps or veins in my hands.’
– Bodhi (trans man, 28yo, he/his)

‘I have the tremendous privilege of being part of a large community in roller skating with my trans son. For the past 4 years we have spent countless hours together and share many friends incorporating a multitude of ages with a very gender diverse community. I am proud to be an ally and friend in this community.’
– Daniel (father of an 18yo trans man)

Being physically active can be a protective factor for transgender/non-binary/gender-diverse (TGD) people. Research tells us physical activity is associated with the following for children and young people:

• Reduced health risks.
• Improved physical health.
• Social connectedness.
• Better emotional regulation.
• Better concentration in the school environment.
• Helpful for managing mental health and distress.

Physical activity is widely recognised for the prosocial development it can promote, such as connection and teamwork. In a school or community setting, cisgender children are also learning from the attitudes, behaviours, organisational policies, and structures of adults, about how to treat each other. 

For TGD youth, being able to engage in physical activity in their authentic gender can be gender-affirming. It can help them connect to their bodies and a community. 

Despite the benefits of physical activity, many TGD people face many barriers in participating in sports, games, and other physical activities in their communities. These barriers can increase when a trans child hits puberty. Some of the barriers can include:

• Gendered sports uniforms.
• Not being allowed to wear the sports uniform that matches your gender.
• Not having access to safe exercise spaces.
• Gendered bathrooms.
• Not being allowed to use the bathroom that matches your gender.
• Shared open change rooms.
• Not feeling or being safe in a changing room, bathroom, sporting field, or physical education class.
• Being targeted and bullied in sporting and recreational settings for being a TGD person.
• Not believing trans girls/women and non-binary people are who they say they are, and due to this, then perceiving them as men who are threats to physical safety in change rooms or bathrooms. 
• Inadequate policies and regulations in sporting and recreational organisations.
• Inadequate policies and regulations in education.
• State bans on transgender people’s participation in sports. These are already in place in over one-third of the United States of America (USA) states.
• People using anecdotes to attribute being transgender to being the reason someone won a race.
• Gaps in the research evidence base specific to trans athletes. Inconclusive data.
• Body dysmorphia and body image.
• Physical discomfort wearing gender-affirming devices such as binders.
• Transphobia.
• Being discriminated against.
• Parents and others taking legislative action against school districts for including transgender students to compete in their affirmed gender. 
• Not having private information treated by privacy legislation.

Understandably, these barriers can increase the risk for poorer mental health outcomes, including suicidality. 

The competitive sports participation of trans girls/women from puberty onwards is often particularly targeted. Remarkably, the first laboratory-based research on athletes comparing transgender women, transgender men, cisgender men, and cisgender women was only published in 2024. Further research is needed as results have been inconclusive, there are research gaps, and research into different types of sports is also needed. Blanket bans lack nuance and overextend reach.

Endocrinologist Dr. Joshua D. Safer, who specialises in transgender medicine, points out the following:

• ‘Prior to puberty there are no measurable athletic differences between boys and girls…there is no reason for transgender children who are prepubertal to do anything other than to participate in sport in the sex category that makes sense for them socially’.
• ‘There would not be a reason to predict measurable athletic advantages accruing to transgender people who received puberty blockers at the onset of puberty and then hormone treatment aligned with gender identity afterward’.

Some geographical locations have state and/or national legislation with legal obligations for sporting organisations’ treatment of TGD people. These may also include special measures for marginalised groups to promote equity, not merely equality. For example, Australia has the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, which includes discrimination based on gender identity, as well as the Privacy Act 1988, which manages what educational and sporting organisations can do with private sensitive information.

Participation in sports and physical activities is ultimately about a transgender child/young person’s access to the positive benefits of sports and recreation participation.

As a parent, you may wonder how physically active your child should be. The ‘World Health Organisation guidelines recommend an average of 60 or more minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity each day, for children aged 5 to 17, as well as activities to strengthen muscle and bone at least three days a week’ (Austin et al., 2024).

Research indicates motivators for transgender people participating in sports and recreation include:

• Being able to be affirmed in their gender.
• Experiencing body satisfaction.
• Influencing the shape of their bodies.
• Increased motivation post gender-affirmation surgery.
• Belonging and connection with community and peers.
• Experiencing or wanting to experience better mental health. 

Resources

• Athlete Ally https://www.athleteally.org/about/ United States. LGBTQ Inclusion in Sports.
• Athletic Equality Index (EAI) https://aei.athleteally.org United States. ‘The Athletic Equality Index (AEI) assesses LGBTQ inclusion policies and practices in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic departments.’
• Authentically Quinn: A TSN Original with Rick Westhead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2B5yQhpKYQ  United States. Quinn, non-binary, soccer midfielder, Olympic gold medallist. 00:12:13. 
• Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Sport by Australian Human Rights Commission 2019. https://www.sportaus.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/706184/Trans_and_Gender_Diverse_Guidelines_2019.pdf
• LGBTQ Sports Club Directory – Pride in Sports https://www.prideinsport.com.au/lgbtq-sports-club-directory/ Australia
• LGBTQ Sports Inclusion Governance by Sport https://www.prideinsport.com.au/governance-by-sport/ Australia. Links to sporting club inclusive governance policies.
• Stack the Deck Against Hate by Athlete Ally. https://www.athleteally.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Resource-Document-FINAL.pdf
• Stay On Board: The Leo Baker Story by Netflix 2022. https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81018205 USA documentary about publicly transitioning as an elite athlete competing internationally in female skateboarding. 01:13:00. Viewing considerations: swearing, suicide references, smoking, reference to maternal drug use history. More suitable for older teens and adults.
• Trans and gender Inclusion by the Australian Sports Commission. https://www.sportaus.gov.au/integrity_in_sport/transgender_and_gender_diverse_people_in_sport
• Trans Masc Swimming Tips by Folx Health 2022. https://www.folxhealth.com/library/trans-swimming-guide-everything-you-need-to-know-about-getting-wet-this-summer
• Well Played: Young, Proud, and Active by Twenty10 2019. https://vimeo.com/336077916 Australia. 00:05:13.

References

• A Scoping Review of Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents’ Experiences of Physical Activity, Sport, and Exercise Participation by Austin et al., 2024.
• Effect of Gender Affirming Hormones on Athletic Performance in Transwomen and Transmen: Implications for Sporting Organisations and Legislators by Roberts et al., 2021.
• Fairness for Transgender People in Sport by Joshua D.Safer 2022.
• Four Myths About Trans Athletes, Debunked by American Civil Liberties Union 2020.
• Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Sport by Australian Human Rights Commission 2019.
• How Does Hormone Transition in Transgender Women Change Body Composition, Muscle 
• Strength, and Haemoglobin? Systematic Review with a Focus on the Implications for Sport Participation by Harper et al., 2021.
• Impact of Chest Binding on Exercise Capacity in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth Assigned Female at Birth by Voss et al., 2024.
• Is Sport Ready to Transition? Navigating Transgender Issues in High School Sport by Foo et al., 2023.
• Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights on U.S. State Legislatures in 2024 by American Civil Liberties Union 2024.
• Physical Activity Behaviours in Trans and Gender Diverse Adults: A Scoping Review by Schweizer et al., 2023.
• Strength, Power and Aerobic Capacity of Transgender Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study by Hamilton et al., 2024.
• U.S. Department of Education’s Proposed Change to its Title IX Regulations on Students’ Eligibility for Athletic Teams by U.S. Department of Education 2023.