Trans student athletes now able to play university sports

U Sports, the organization that governs university intercollegiate and varsity athletics in Canada, has released an inclusive policy for transgender student-athletes two years after it started working on it.

The new policy says transgender student athletes will be able to compete on teams that correspond with their birth gender or the gender they now identify with, as long as they comply with the Canadian Anti-doping Program.

"With the history of how policy goes for trans people, I honestly was surprised that it only took two years, because it normally takes a lot longer," said Jacob Roy, a transgender man whose athletic career was frustrated at university.

There was no policy for transgender student athletes before the one announced on Sept. 26. This meant that some studentshad to quit the sports they loved because they didn't know where they'd fit in and neither did their coaches.

Roy gave up rugby, soccer, track and field, and diving at the University of New Brunswick Saint John and St. Thomas University in Fredericton.

"It was exciting," Roy said of hearing about the new policy. "But it was sad in the sense that I would have had this opportunity as well if it had been implemented years before."

Lisen Moore, chair of the U Sports equity committee, said she didn't have an answer as to why there was no policy earlier.

"But we've been actively working since 2016 to ensure that we came forward with something that was tremendously inclusive. We didn't go fast, but I think we got it right."

According to the policy, transgender student athletes, like other student athletes, can play for their institutions for a total of five years. But the policy says an athlete can only compete on teams of one gender during a whole academic year.

UNB athletic director on new transgender athlete policy

6 years ago

Duration 1:02

Transgender student athletes are now able to play university sports thanks to new policy released by U Sports.

Roy said this restriction will complicate things for some transgender students because their transition is not a "linear process."

"We cannot expect people who are transitioning to be like, 'I'll transition in August so that I can be on the men's team in September,'" Roy said. "Our transition and our gender identity is constantly changing."

Athletes who are taking hormones such as estrogen and testosterone to complete their transition will be able to play if theirhormone levels comply with the Canadian Anti-doping Program guidelines.

"If you fell outside what would be considered the normal hormone range of the male or female of your age, you would have to be able to put forth a medical documentation as to why," said Moore.

"The Canadian Ethics Centre for Sports would review that medical case and make a determination."

Charlene Weaving, a professor in St. Francis Xavier University's human kinetics department, said this is one of the most inclusive transgender student athlete policies she has seen.

But she worries athletes might be called for doping when they are just going through the transitioning process.

Weaving said the general concern is mostly with male to female transgender athletes because of the "myth" that testosterone enhances performance and might create an unfair advantage.

"I think the issues are there is no such thing as 'normal levels' of testosterone, and that we need to stop putting so much effort and emphasis on the power of testosterone. Especially, given that there is a lack of conclusive scientific evidence."

She also said normal levels of hormones change, depending on the individual.

'No barrier now'

Even though the policy was released after tryouts for most fall and year-round sports had passed, transgender student athletes can still make the teams.

"U Sports has been out front and said if there are individuals who want to play this year or try out this year and haven't, they will certainly waive the eligibility deadlines that have already passed," said John Richard, athletic director at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

Roy believes the policy will need "constant work and constant revisions" in the years to come.

Richard said U Sports will share best practices and frequently asked questions with university coaches in the hope they better understand transgender student athletes.