Honoring transgender athletes
Author: Bella Birkeland
In this week's blog, we are taking the time to honor some great transgender athletes and their accomplishments. As great competitors in their sport as well as activists, they are dedicated to inspiring the next generation of trans athletes.
Kye Allums
He has become the first openly trans person to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association of Division I sports. He came out as trans while playing during a game for George Washington University’s team in 2010. In 2013, he traveled the country educating students about identity and being trans. In 2015, he was a part of a documentary called “the T word”. During this time he was also inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. Advocacy is one of his main focuses and passion that has led him to both a pushing of his own book titled Who Am I? as well as a project titled I am Enough.
Laurel Hubbard
A weightlifter from New Zealander made her Olympic debut at the summer 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Her debut also made her the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics. She competed as the oldest woman in the +87 kg weightlifting group. Although it wasn’t the performance she hoped for, she was happy with all the support she received. With her performance and determination, she made history as the first openly trans woman to compete in the Olympic Games.
Schuyler Bailar (@pinkmantaray)
A swimmer who was the first was the first openly trans man on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s swimming team. Prior to this title, he was ranked in the top 20 at the Junior Olympics and also swam on Harvard’s men's team for four seasons. After his debut, he has truly become an activist who uses their platform to speak out and advocate. They have spoken out about body image, racism, and transgender rights especially transgender inclusion in sports.
Layshia Clarendon (@layshiac)
They are the first open transgender and nonbinary player to compete in the Women's National Basketball Association. As of now, they are currently a guard for the Minnesota Lynx Basketball team and they use all pronouns. They have numerous awards such as the 018 FIBA World Cup and WNBA Community Assist Award. Layshia has not only dedicated themselves to their sport, but they also continue to advocate for black and brown youth and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Chelsea Wolfe (@chelseawolfebmx)
She is a BMX Freestyle Athlete that earned a spot as an alternate for the summer 2020 Olympics in Tokyo for winning fifth place at the 2021 UCI Urban World Championships. Although they didn’t officially compete in the Olympics, she became the first openly transgender person to make the USA team. As she made history in both 2021 and 2020. She continues her message to focus on helping people realize their value and recognize that their rights are important. All so people can see that they have the strength of a champion.
These are trans athletes that have made history with dedication and commitment. Although a few were listed, there are many more trans athletes that are continuing to advocate and spread awareness. We are proud of their progress and the commitment they have shown that has inspired us all.