Trans Sports Fans-Time To Come Out Of The Closet

I've been a huge sports fan for most of my life and transition didn't change that one bit.

I love huge events such as the NCAA Final Four, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the World Cup and the NBA finals.

Being that it's part of my Texan DNA, I'm a huge football fan, be it high school, college or the NFL. I'm usually watching college and NBA basketball, and take in a major league baseball game or two from time to time.

One of the things I and other sports loving transwomen crack up laughing about is when we're with a group of transwomen and the discussion topic turns to sports related matters.

Some of them run like Usain Bolt from admitting any love for sports or trot out that tired BS line of 'ladies don't like sports' in a weak attempt to derail the conversation topic.

Umm, have y'all been paying attention to what's been happening since Title IX was enacted in 1972?

One of the things that I've noted since I transitioned in 1994 is the increasing numbers of transpeople not only playing sports, but competing at elite levels.

People such as Canadian mountain biker Michelle Dumaresq and Canadian cyclist Kristin Worley. I've talked about on the blog from time to time about my homegirl Dawn's saber fencing exploits while representing herself, the LFC and the 'Baby Vets' in the USFA's Women's 40's division.

The IOC voted in 2004 to open Olympic competition to transpeople, and while so far we haven't had an open transperson qualify for an Olympic team in either the winter or summer games, it's only a matter of time before it happens.

Since we have transkids transitioning at earlier ages, there have been discussions by the NCAA and the various state high school athletic federations as to what's the best and fairest way for cis and trans athletes to compete side by side.

So yeah, for all you stealth trans sports fans, time for y'all to come out of the closet. Even if you don't want to participate, you can do so by letting your inner sports fan out.

And who knows, you may even make some lifelong friends in the process.