Protestors gather at the legislature during a rally for trans rights in Edmonton in February, 2024.AMBER BRACKEN/The Canadian Press
Harrison Browne, who became the first trans player for the National Women’s Hockey League in 2016, is the co-author of Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes and the director of the short film Pink Light.
I knew from a very young age that I was different from my peers, but I didn’t have words for it. I had never heard the term “transgender,” so this difference was all-consuming and debilitating growing up: Because my voice seemed wrong, I would never speak up, and I would hide my body under oversized clothing and shyness.
But then I discovered hockey. On the ice, the nagging thoughts swirling in my head went silent. The speed of the game and the bulky equipment I wore made me feel like I was in a different world – one where I wasn’t seen as a boy or a girl, but simply as an athlete. I found great comfort in that; I felt free to let go and be myself.
Sports changed my life. They were my refuge, giving me so many cherished friendships and memories, as well as the confidence I needed to move through the world. I have no idea who I would be without them – or if I would even be here at all.
That’s why all the attacks on transgender children’s access to sports have felt so personal and vile to me. Every child has the right to experience all the enrichment sports can provide, regardless of their gender identity – but unfortunately, not everyone has this same view. In September, Alberta’s Bill 29, the so-called Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, took effect, banning transgender women and girls who are 12 and older from sports that align with their gender identity.
Skate Canada to cancel Alberta events, citing provincial gender law
In defending the bill, Alberta’s Minister of Tourism and Sport Andrew Boitchenko said: “No athlete should have to put themselves at risk of harm to participate in the sports they love.” In reality, this bill puts both cisgender and transgender athletes at real risk by subjecting their bodies and personal lives to scrutiny and surveillance in order to prove their gender.
Efforts to restrict transgender people from playing sports are becoming increasingly common. Leading this crusade is the U.S., where politicians have turned transgender children into scapegoats by using this issue as a primary campaigning tool.
Many think that Canada is immune to the fearmongering, bigotry and polarization happening in U.S. politics – but alas, we are not. Seeing some provinces enact restrictions and policies about access to education, health care and sports participation for transgender Canadians has made me fearful for my community. I’ve also been disheartened that powerful people and organizations have failed to defend my community – especially when it comes to sports.
That was until Skate Canada, the national governing body for figure skating, took a stand.
When I saw Skate Canada’s December announcement that it would stop holding national and international events in Alberta because of the bill, I felt a relief I haven’t felt for a very long time. Someone was standing up for us in a real, tangible way. “Following a careful assessment of Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, Skate Canada has determined that we are unable to host events in the province while maintaining our national standards for safe and inclusive sport,” the statement read – a bold and welcome move that I hope will inspire more organizations to take similar stances.
Advocacy groups, families file legal action against Alberta’s transgender law
Sport organizations have the power to influence positive change. Skate Canada’s actions are reminiscent of the way the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) responded in 2016 to the passage of Bill HB2 in North Carolina, which restricted which public bathrooms transgender people could use. Owing to public outcry, the NCAA threatened to cancel plans for the state to host a number of championships, including two rounds of the popular March Madness college basketball tournament, unless the bill was overturned. The financial repercussions of potentially losing the NCAA tournament played a key role in the state’s decision to ultimately repeal the bill.
Improving and defending the lives of trans athletes by creating supportive and inclusive environments requires courage. In the wake of increasing backlash toward transgender athletes and children, I had been losing hope that sports organizations would show any at a time that we need it the most. But Skate Canada has restored some of my faith – and some organizations are still reviewing the law, including the national body governing Olympic-style wrestling.
So from one skater to another: Thank you, Skate Canada. I hope that more people in sport will realize that they have the power to change lives – and use it.