Resources for Trans Athletes and Allies on TDOV (and every day)
Today is Trans Day of Visibility, an annual event dedicated to celebrating the trans community and raising awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide.
Here at Athlete Ally, we’re especially grateful for the trans athletes who have joined us as Ambassadors, coaches, Campus Chapter members, community partners and friends in our work to make sport safe, welcoming and inclusive for all LGBTQI+ athletes. We want to share some of the stories from athletes we know, influencers you can follow on social media, and ways you can take action as an ally or a member of the trans community to advocate for trans equality in sport and society as a whole. Scroll to the very bottom for suggested ways to engage on social media.
Please note for all of these lists that these are samplings and not meant to be exhaustive lists. Special thank you to Patricio Manuel for his contributions to our lists of organizations and mutual aid funds.
Trans Athlete Voices:
- Race Driver Charlie Martin: I’m Not Going to Hide
- WNBA Hopeful Kayla Ward to Trans Youth: You Aren’t Alone
- WFA Player Erica Meacham: Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams
- Pro Boxer Patricio Manuel: Be First
- Elite Rugby Player Ben Skinner: 7 Reasons To Let Yourself Play the Sport You Love
- Hockey is for Everyone: Elliot’s Story
Ally Voices:
- Sky Blue FC’s Imani Dorsey: Becoming The Norm
- Wrestler Justice Horn: End the War on Trans Student Athletes
- Athlete Ally’s Anne Lieberman: Sports Saved My Life. Transgender Athletes Should Be Able to Have That Experience Too
Overview / Background Articles:
- The Truth About Trans Athletes (Men’s Health)
- Andraya Yearwood Knows She Has the Right to Compete (Bleacher Report)
- CT High School Track Athletes Respond to Discrimination Complaint (Boston.Com)
- Stop Talking about Testosterone, There’s No Such Thing as ‘True Sex’ (The Guardian)
- Don’t Believe Everything You Read About Trans Women in Sports (Penguin Random House)
- Trans Athletes Welcomed on Teams Despite Hostile State Bills (NewNowNext)
Influencers to Follow:
- Chase Strangio
- Chris Mosier
- Indya Moore
- Laverne Cox
- Chella Man
- Kayla Ward
- Pat Manuel
- Jazz Jennings
- Lillian Lennon
- Nikita Dragun
- Eli Erlick
- Devin Michael Lowe
- Vivek Shraya
- Zoey Luna
Organizations to Follow:
- Marsha P Johnson Institute
- TransLatin@ Coalition
- National Center for Trans Equality
- Freedom Overground
- Mirror Memoirs
- Transgender Justice Fund
- Sylvia Rivera Law Project
- GenderCool
- Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
- National Center for Lesbian Rights
Mutual Aid Funds + COVID-19:
- Black Trans Travel Fund
- COVID-19 Mutual Aid Fund for LGBTQI+ BIPOC Folks
- No Justice No Pride COVID-19 Response
- Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network Fund
- TGI Justice Project
- Trans Justice Funding Project (scroll down to org list)
Ways to Take Action:
- Support any of the Mutual Aid Funds listed above.
- Visit Chris Mosier’s TransAthlete website and look up the specific call-to-action for your state (or a state you used to live in).
- Become a penpal to an incarcerated transgender person through Black and Pink
- Engage with and support POC-led organizations and individuals listed here
- Sign up for Athlete Ally’s Advocacy List-serve for ways to speak out against anti-trans athlete bills
- If you’re an ally, read Imani Dorsey’s story then post a photo of you playing sports, and why Imani’s article resonated with you. Please tag @AthleteAlly and #TDOV.
- If you’re a trans athlete, share a photo of you playing sport on your social media along with what your experience in sport has been like, or what sport has meant to you. Please tag @AthleteAlly and #TDOV.