Gender
Sports can be modified to allow more equal competition by men or women, or to be gender inclusive, such as open, mixed, or gender-neutral competitions.
Gender inclusion is a common objective of many modified sports, particularly at junior level (usually 12 years and under) because minimal size and strength differences exist between young boys and girls.
The rules governing a sport can also be modified to allow more equal competition by men or women, or to be gender inclusive, such as open or mixed gender netball or volleyball competitions. These competitions may have different rules, equipment, or specifications (e.g., tee locations for women in golf, net heights in volleyball, etc.) for gender specific competitions and/or mixed gender competitions.
Increasingly, community sport organisations are also considering ways to include non-binary individuals in sport.
Resources and reading
- Non-Binary People, Sport and Physical Activity, opens in a new tab, Pride in Sports for Sport England, (2020). The word non-binary describes a wide array of different identities which fall outside of the gender binary, and can be related to, or completely separate from male and female gender identities. Whilst non-binary is often described as part of the trans umbrella, not all nonbinary people identify as trans. It is estimated that around 0.4% of the UK’s population identify as non-binary, although it is thought that non-binary identities may be on the rise, particularly amongst young people. Research conducted by the National LGBT Partnership in 2016 found that people who identified as something other than male or female were some of the most inactive people amongst LGBT+ populations. Sport England commissioned Pride Sports to devise policy guidance for non-binary inclusion in grassroots sport and physical activity. The following report reflects data and commentary gathered through desk research, as well as input from focus groups and individual discussions with nonbinary people. Key challenges are faced by non-binary people in the following areas: Gendered Spaces; Gendered Activity; Representation and Visibility; and, Language These barriers are addressed within the report through recommendations themed accordingly, whilst examples of existing adaptations made within mainstream grassroots sport to accommodate nonbinary people are also highlighted. Consideration is also given within the report to the specific challenge of school sport and PE and to the performance pathway.
- Non-binary inclusion in sport, opens in a new tab, T. Snape & Co., (2020). The premise of this booklet is not that people who identify as non-binary (neither male nor female) are a problem for sport. Instead, we suggest they highlight important issues that sport, and society more generally, should attend to. We discuss these challenges and identify ways of addressing them. We aim to provide sports organisations and organisers; sports regulators and governing bodies; and members of sporting communities at large, with a resource to help accessibility for non-binary people and people of all genders. This booklet includes:
- A summary of a research workshop which took place specifically to explore non-binary inclusion in sport;
- Three case studies showcasing examples of non-binary inclusion, derived from people’s lived experiences of organising and participating in sport:
- Some tips for being a non-binary ally
- Girls’ transition from participation in a modified sport program to club sport competition - a study of longitudinal patterns and correlates, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime, Jack Harvey and Melanie Charity, BMC Public Health, Volume 18, Article 718, (June 2018). A total of 13,760 female children (aged 4–10) participated in the modified sport in the first year. The majority (59%) transitioned from the modified sport program and into club competition. However the rate of transition varied with age, residential location and socio-economic status, and there was an interaction between region and SES, with SES having a significant influence on transition in the metropolitan region. The peak sport entry age with the highest rates of transition was 7–9 years.
- Specific Detriment: Barriers and Opportunities for Non-Binary Inclusive Sports in Scotland, opens in a new tab, Sonja Erikainen, Ben Vincent, Al Hopkins, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, (9 October 2020). While non-binary gender identities have become increasingly visible in recent years, little research currently exists on the experiences that non-binary people have in sport, where most opportunities to participate are limited to two, mutually exclusive female and male categories. This article provides a starting point for addressing this gap, by reporting findings from a participatory scoping study that explored the barriers that non-binary people face in accessing sporting spaces, communities, and competitions. This study also identified strategies through which these barriers could be overcome, and non-binary inclusion facilitated. Taken together, these strategies suggest that genuine inclusion entails not only new ways of thinking about how gender operates in sport but also alternative ways of thinking about the meaning and value of sport itself.
- Girls playing in boys' teams, opens in a new tab, (accessed 25 January 2022). The Play by the Rules website has a number of information resources that explain anti-discrimination legislation and how it relates to girls playing in boys' teams and practical issues for coaches and administrators to consider.
- Mixed Gender Dispensation Procedure, opens in a new tab, Australian Rugby, (accessed 25 January 2022). Rugby Australia has created this procedure to ensure the suitability of mixed gender teams and the circumstances where girls should be permitted to play contact Rugby with boys. It takes into consideration the differences in physical and mental development of boys and girls at the various stages of progression through the established age-grade pathways within Australia. Males and females can participate in mixed gender rugby up to and including the calendar year in which they turn 12 years of age. A girl over 12 years of age may, subject to meeting the requirements of the dispensation procedure, play in a mixed gender team in the Under 13, Under 14 and Under 15 age groups where no other opportunity to play regular Rugby exists. A girl can participate in a mixed gender team in the calendar year up to and including the year in which they turn 15 (1 January to 31 December).
- Open Bowls Policy, opens in a new tab, Bowls Australia, (November 2018). Following a number of challenges relating to anti-discrimination legislation at club, regional and state/territory association level, Bowls Australia (BA) has undertaken detailed research and has formulated a position on Open Bowls in Australia. Open Bowls is defined as a competition that does not discriminate based on gender, age, religion, race, culture, disability or any other trait. For example, where a competition allows for both genders to participate in an event concurrently, open competition does not need to be staged.
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