Parents’ Letter: A Request for Reevaluation of Transgender Athlete Participation Policy

Dear Members of the Board of Directors and Leadership at USA Climbing,

We are writing to express our concerns about the recently released Transgender Athlete Participation Policy. Our plea is for the USA Climbing Board of Directors to reconsider the policy, aiming for inclusivity and fairness for all USAC athletes.

The new transgender policy has raised concerns about its alignment with USA Climbing's core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe it may inadvertently send a message that the trans community is unwelcome within our organization, contrary to our cherished principles.

USA Climbing's commitment to non-discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin is commendable. We also share the belief that athletes should compete in a respectful, safe, and harassment-free environment and have the opportunity for fair competition according to the organization's mission.

However, the mission statement and the new transgender policy seem to be at odds. We recognize that understanding this perspective may be challenging, especially for those not directly affected by these issues. Shedding stereotypes, fears, and misinformation about the trans community often takes time. We appreciate your openness to considering this viewpoint.

The challenges faced by USAC trans athletes may not be immediately apparent. They have had to fight for basic rights, endure ignorance, confront long waits for medical appointments, and educate their surroundings. Discrimination, harassment, and bullying are all too common. Many have had to relocate for gender-affirming healthcare or supportive legal environments. Over half of transgender youth have contemplated suicide. This statistic significantly improves when they receive respect for their pronouns, access to gender-affirming clothing, and are included as athletes in sports. Despite all the obstacles, they persevere.

We believe that the voice of the trans community may not have been fully represented in the policy discussions. Attached, we outline our feedback, recognizing that this only touches the surface of the inequities and exclusions this policy perpetuates.

We kindly request a comprehensive review of the policy to better align it with USA Climbing's values of inclusivity and fairness.

Sincerely,

[Parents of Trans Kids]

Review and Recommendations

1. Policy Complexity and Expectations

The current policy is unnecessarily complex and strict, making it difficult to understand and adhere to. It imposes undue financial and emotional burdens on an already marginalized community. The requirements for youth athletes are particularly burdensome, given the complexities they face during their gender questioning or transitioning journey.

Recommendation:

Clarify ambiguity on which competitions will trigger the start of testing.

​​Allow youth to participate without medical requirement or reporting to USAC. If they were to qualify for an international event, then they would need to meet any IFSC or IOC requirements.

Relax testing timelines.

Provide flexibility for extenuating circumstances.

Simplify the policy and align it with the practical realities of trans care.

2. Gender Declaration

Requiring a gender declaration can be anxiety-inducing, especially when privacy concerns are raised. Privacy breaches and the fear of misuse of such sensitive information can have severe consequences.

Recommendations:

Remove Rule 3.4 a) and allow athletes to select their gender without declaration.

Eliminate the restrictions on changing gender midseason.

3. "Further Review" Caveat

The threat of an individual review due to "concerns regarding course of treatment" is vague and instills fear within the trans community. This policy creates an unwelcoming environment and violates individuals' privacy rights. It can also create an environment where any female may be questioned for not meeting or conforming to gender norms.

Recommendation:

Remove Rule 3.4 b).

4. International Track Participation Table

Table 3.5 guidelines are nearly impossible to adhere to, particularly regarding the advance knowledge of the International Track Schedule and the ability to schedule testing accordingly. The policy excludes climbers who transition within the year before October 1, 2024, and does not provide sufficient grace periods to account for barriers youth may face.

Recommendations:

Allow youth to participate without medical requirement or reporting to USAC. If they were to qualify for an international event, then they would need to get a TUE and meet any IFSC or IOC requirements → Treat them as any other person needing a TUE.

Seek inspiration from Climbing Escalade Canada's transgender inclusion policy for a more inclusive approach.

5. Inclusion of All Females

If trans females are required to submit testosterone level testing, this requirement should apply to all females, as the transgender community is as diverse as the cisgender community. And if testosterone levels are seen as an unacceptable differentiator between people, perhaps there should be testosterone testing on boys as well to ensure a ‘testosterone level playing field.’

6. TUE requirements

We would like to highlight the significant discrepancy between the treatment of trans athletes in terms of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) and the policies applied to other athletes. Transgender athletes are required to obtain a TUE at every level of competition, whereas other athletes who might need a TUE for international events are not held to the same standard at every level of competition. This inconsistency within the rules is not only discriminatory but also highlights a lack of fairness and equity in the current policy.

Recommendations:

Do not require testing, declarations, or TUEs for youth until you would require them for other athletes. I.e. only if they make the National Team for YB/A/JR and intend on participating at an international event.

7. Review and Grievance Appeal Process

The Medical Review Panel should include a trans athlete advocate to ensure fairness and equitable representation.

8. Privacy

Clarify the privacy policy regarding athlete data collected under this policy, addressing compliance with HIPAA, enforcement, consequences for privacy breaches, and public availability of the policy.

9. Trans Rights Advocacy

USA Climbing has an opportunity to actively support the trans community. One way to demonstrate this support could be by considering the selection of championship event locations in states that facilitate gender-affirming care. Additionally, instead of implementing policies that might restrict transgender athlete participation, let's reaffirm USAC's foundational values and principles, guiding our community to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion wholeheartedly.

We hope that you will carefully consider our concerns and take steps to reevaluate the new transgender participation policy. Our goal is to create a policy that fosters the well-being and inclusion of all USAC athletes.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your willingness to evolve as leaders in our climbing community.

-Parents of USAC Athletes