Has the athletic department expressly adopted and publicly endorsed a policy that protects transgender varsity student-athletes which also offers an accessible reporting mechanism or the contact information for a point person?

 

Methodology update as of July 2023: If AEI evidence (or the document or page containing the evidence) has a visible time-stamp, date range of application, or departmental review date, such time-stamps must be dated within the last 2 calendar years to qualify for scoring purposes. Evidence that is explicitly timestamped more than 2 calendar years before an institution’s annual audit cannot be reasonably assumed to remain unchanged in its application to current students unless explicitly stated by the athletic department. We use calendar years to make these distinctions; for example, a 2020-2021 student-athlete handbook is acceptable evidence for an audit conducted in 2023, but would not be acceptable for an audit conducted in 2024.

 

  • Trans students consistently and collectively report more negative perceptions of campus climates than their peers.

 

  • Trans students are more likely to experience victimization and bullying.

 

  • Diversity initiatives may increase the attractiveness of institutions to underrepresented groups.

 

 

While there is a burgeoning body of research on trans students’ experiences in U.S. colleges (Beemyn, 2003; Effrig et al., 2011; Beemyn et al., 2005), little research on the experiences of trans varsity, collegiate student-athletes exists (Lucas-Carr & Krane, 2011). Young trans people consistently and collectively perceive campus climates differently than their LGBTQ+ peers (Dugan et al., 2012; McKinney, 2005; Rankin, 2005). In 2014, researchers found LGBQ students whose gender identity matched their sex at birth felt more protected against discrimination than trans or gender-nonconforming individuals (Woodford et al., 2014). A 2018 study reported that transgender youth were more likely bullied and victimized because of their gender, were more likely to be truant, and held negative opinions of the school climate (Day et al., 2018). Furthermore, in a 2012 study, LGBTQ+ students expressed that faculty and staff were not adequately educated and therefore not prepared to support transgender students (Dugan et al.). Positing the same may be true within athletics departments, it is imperative to examine how policies impact access to sport participation for trans athletes. 

 


 

Beemyn, B. (2003). Serving the needs of transgender college students. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Issues in Education, 1(1), 33-50. Publicly available here

 

Effrig, J. C., Bieschke, K. J., & Locke, B. D. (2011). Examining victimization and psychological distress in transgender college students. Journal of College Counseling, 14(2), 143-157. 

 

Beemyn, B., Curtis, B., Davis, M., & Tubbs, N. J. (2005). Transgender issues on college campuses. New Directions for Student Services, 111, 49-60. Publicly available here

 

Lucas-Carr, C. B., & Krane, V. (2011). What is the T in LGBT? Supporting transgender athletes through sport psychology. The Sport Psychologist, 25(4), 532-548.

 

Dugan, J. P., Kusel, M. L., & Simounet, D. M. (2012). Transgender college students: An exploratory study of perceptions, engagement, and educational outcomes. Journal of College Student Development, 53(5), 719-736. Publicly available here

 

McKinney, J. S. (2005). On the margins: A study of the experiences of transgender college students. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Issues in Education, 3(1), 63-76.

 

Rankin, S. (2005). Campus climates for sexual minorities. New Directions for Student Services, 111, 17-23. Publicly available here

 

Woodford, M. R., Kulick, A., Sinco, B. R., & Hong, J. S. (2014). Contemporary heterosexism on campus and psychological distress among LGBQ students: The mediating role of self-acceptance. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 84(5), 519-529.  

 

Day, J. K., Perez-Brumer, A., & Russell, S. T. (2018). Safe schools? Transgender youth’s school experiences and perceptions of school climate. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(8), 1731-1742. Publicly available here