First of all, yesterday's announcement of the Gender Policy by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association totally caught me by surprise. As someone who has been advocating policy that is inclusive to transsexual and intersex women who are going through non-surgical hormone replacement therapy to participate in sanctioned inter-league play, I welcome this new policy.
This policy seals the deal on years of controversy over the definition of "female". WFTDA's statement supports what the medical and psych communities have been saying and what I support, that gender comes from what's between the ears and not what's between the legs.
The WFTDA Gender Policy falls short on a major issue and consistent with WFTFA policy, rightfully so. But this is a major issue that will need the buy-in by over 100 different entities.
While WFTDA will allow trans skaters to play in their sandbox, the sandbox is surrounded by a large fence with 100 different gates and 100 gate keepers, the WFTDA member and apprentice leagues.
There is nothing within WFTDA's policy that states that an individual league is required to allow a trans skater into their league to try-out, go through fresh meat training, practice and bout on a home team. WFTDA's FAQ on the gender policy express WFTDA's leverage to the leagues to selectively allow this policy in their recruiting process:
While every skater on the member league is a part of WFTDA, each member league has one "chartered" team that officially represents them in WFTDA sanctioned games, rankings, and tournaments. The 20 skaters on that team charter are affected by this policy.
The other skaters on the league are not subject to this definition. Leagues are welcome to model their own policies in parallel with the WFTDA gender policy, or develop their own standards for defining "female" with regard to their membership.
Is this good policy? At the national level, yes. The main reason is because WFTDA, as a national association has given each of its member leagues a very high level of autonomy to establish their own policies and processes. The national WFTDA organization seems to only get involved where it comes to interleague play and insurance issues. WFTDA has made it clear in my past experiences that they will not meddle with local league issues and I do feel that it would be appropriate to be consistent in this case.
Now, this leaves the issue of welcoming trans skaters into our sport up to the gate-keepers I spoke of, the 100+ local WFTDA member and apprentice leagues. They have the power to either make this policy work or not work. This is because the local league can still not allow a trans skater to practice or gain experience on a home or "B" team, which is not covered by WFTDA's Gender Policy.
Over the years, I have heard many reasons why skaters and leagues have resisted allowing trans skaters to come on board. Everything from them not being "real women" to concerns over HIV, are very unreasonable, outlandish and very uneducated on the part of the person making the comment.
I remember in 2007, I had lunch with a couple of representatives of Arizona Derby Dames, a non-WFTDA league that I could never skate for them because I had a "competitive advantage" due to my "increased upper arm strength". In 2008, a representative of this same league made off-air comments to the producer of the Equality Arizona radio show when asked about the inclusion of trans women in the sport, the league rep replied "our league is only for real women."
In 2010, I was asked to join Desert Dolls Roller Derby, a non-WFTDA independent league who was founded by some ex-Arizona Derby Dames skaters. So, even in three years, some attitudes have changed.
I have also seen policies written by Bay Area Derby Girls and Montreal Roller Derby. There was a recent story in the news about Windy City Rollers opening their doors to trans skaters.
So, to the 100+ WFTDA member and apprentice leagues in the USA, Canada and around the world; the ones who guard the gate surrounding WFTDA's sandbox, I ask you point blank. Are you going to accept WFTDA's recommendation and welcome transgender women following WFTDA's definition of "female" for fresh meat training, practice and home team bouting?
I know that there are many in our society who still see transgender women as "freaks" and not "real women". The transgender community is less accepted in society than even the gay, lesbian and bisexual community and this can been seen in recent legislation.
You may have a sponsor or two with those feelings but if there's one thing I have learned from derby is that this sport is revolutionary, a word that appears in WFTDA's motto. I hope your league does see beyond the pressure of your community and be welcome to diversity and inclusion of all women, including those who were not born with female genitalia.
If not, then I want to know why. I have heard all of them.
I know how much of a sensitive issue this is and perhaps it is not something that you want to advertise on your website outside of perhaps a press release, but I feel that there should be a repository of leagues and what their stand is on the issue. I want to avoid the embarrassing and undignified moment when a trans skater tries out for a league to only get turned away because the league does not accept transgender skaters because they are not required to.
I am willing to use my resources to house such a repository and if I do this, I even welcome non-WFTDA leagues to provide me with their positions and policies.
I am doing this because I want to encourage as many leagues to finally see beyond the misinformation in the public about transgender women and acknowledge the facts and welcome these women who are medically, socially and athletically prepared to participate in women's sports.
Thank you for sharing this unique form of derby love.