Athlete Ally Responds to NCAA Update on Transgender Athletes
August 4, 2021 (New York) — Athlete Ally responded to news of the the NCAA Board of Governors’ discussion yesterday on transgender athlete participation.
The NCAA website provides the following update:
The board also reaffirmed the Association’s policy to provide fair and nondiscriminatory championships opportunities to all student-athletes, including transgender college athletes. Given the Association’s foundational values of inclusion and fair competition, the NCAA intends to conduct its championships as they were awarded but will require all hosts to reaffirm their commitment to ensure a nondiscriminatory and safe environment for all college athletes per their host agreement. Any host who cannot commit to the nondiscrimination policy should contact the NCAA immediately. Future championship hosts also must commit to the nondiscrimination policy, as they have in the past.
The NCAA’s long-standing Association-wide policy provides an inclusive path for transgender participation. The policy was developed with input from the medical and higher education communities, inclusion thought leaders and college athletes.
In a statement provided to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Athlete Ally said the following:
“NCAA policy states that NCAA events in all divisions must provide environments that are safe, healthy, and free of discrimination. Selecting states that have legislated discrimination against transgender student-athletes makes it impossible for the NCAA to implement their above policy. We are in solidarity with the elite athletes and over 1000+ student athletes who have spoken out over the past two years for the rights of transgender student-athletes to participate in sports free from discrimination. We continue to call on the NCAA to reverse this decision and support the right of all student-athletes — including transgender student-athletes — to be safe, healthy and free of discrimination while participating in NCAA events.”