Human Rights and Sports
Transgender Europe is the world’s largest transgender
network with 65 member organisations in Europe and
Central Asia and well over 100 individual members.
Every second year we convene the European
Transgender Council, recently in Dublin, 2010 in Malmö,
2008 in Berlin and 2005 in Vienna.
At the Dublin council 2012 Wiktor Dynarski (Poland) and
Maria Sundin (Sweden) were elected co-chairs.
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
Trans* Rights are Human Rights
Human Rights are Universal
This includes all aspects of our lives
including the right to inclusion
in sports on all levels
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
The right to change one’s gender marker and name without
the requirement of surgeries or medical interventions and
have this legally recognised for all purposes.
The Yogyakarta Principles 2007
Human Rights And Gender Identity Mr Thomas Hammarberg
Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe
2009
The Reccommendations by the Committee of Ministers of the
Council of Europe 2010
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health
Statement on requirements to change legal gender 2010
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Yogyakarta Principle 3
No one shall be forced to undergo medical
procedures, including sex reassignment surgery,
sterilisation or hormonal therapy, as a requirement
for legal recognition of their gender identity. No
status, such as marriage or parenthood, may be
invoked as such to prevent the legal recognition of
a person’s gender identity. No one shall be
subjected to pressure to conceal, suppress or deny
their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
So why don’t these rather universal ideas and
principles on human rights also apply to those of us
who want to keep being active in sports or take up
sports on different levels when we transition?
What is the logic behind gendered sports and what
purpose does it serve?
Are the present ”rules” concerning trans* athletes
compatible with the principles of Human Rights?
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
The present situation do have many consequences for trans*
people who want to take up sport or continue to be active in
sports.
Some examples from my own country, Sweden.
Young trans activists try to access gyms and indoor pools but do
face a lot of prejudices in the process or are asked to pay very
large sums for exclusive access, not to upset ”normal” users.
During Stockholm Pride the fitness coach, top body builder and
queer activist Kia Sigge introduced ”TransForm: Shape your
body and gender” which is a queer and trans positive method for
transmen to develop their bodies by using hormones,
bodybuilding and fitness training.
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
Recently RFSL, RFSL Ungdom and Riksidrottsförbundet
started a project where the purpose is to collect stories from
young gay, lesbian, trans and queer persons between 15 and
25 describe experiences of taking part in sports and the
attitudes they encounter. This report will be published in 2013.
But still a large number of trans* people drop out of sports
when they transition or meet a number of obstacles when
they actually do try take part in sports as any other kid which
we will see.
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
Victoria is a trans* woman in her 40-ies. From her childhood until she
was 18 she played ice-hockey with on of Sweden top teams, Västra
Frölunda (Gothenburg), she was selected for her team’s junior A-team
and played a number of matches on national level, among them
securing the gold medal in the national cup for junior teams, TVcupen.
She on the draft list as a junior of Boston Bruins (USA) when she told
her coach she was trans’ and that she was going to transition to
female.
She was met with a rather typical reaction from her coach and the
leaders ”you must be crazy to waste such an opportunity”!
But she felt she had no choice and began her transition and was
granted legal gender recognition after having surgery in 1992 at 25.
NGO-Policy Briefing,
13 Dec 2010, Brussels
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
Josse is a 11 year old trans* girl. Her mother has had to fight the social
services, child psychiatrists, the courts and the school to let her daughter
grow up in peace and as the girls she feels she is.
After being brutally harassed and abused she her mother finally found a small
school where Josse was allowed to attend as a girl. Everything went very her
classmates totally accepted her as the girl she felt she was.
Josse was overjoyed when she came home and told her mum she was
selected to the girls soccer team and they were to play a match against the
neighbouring school.
But when the time for the match came, the student’s athletic federation
contacted the school and said, you can not have a boy on the girls team, it is
unfair towards the visiting all girls team.
Josse and her mum were heartbroken, the school tried to explain to the
officials but no, no way Josse is a boy and he will give his team an unfair
advantage. An she is an 11 year old trans girl!
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org
Human Rights and Sports
In the light of the wave of change in the legislations for legal gender
recognition with Argentina as the last legislations that conform with
basic human rights principles and Iceland adopting a similar law
requiring no surgical or medical interventions and the Netherlands and
Sweden following suit
– the question remains how will the Sport’s world handle and adopt to
this ever changing situation?
The Swedish researcher in Sport’s Science at the University of Malmö,
Kutte Jönsson came up with the radical proposal some time ago that
we once and for all should do away with gendered athletic
competitions as a whole.
Transgender Europe – TGEU www.tgeu.org