Trans Day of Visibility is an annual international celebration of trans pride and awareness, recognising trans and gender diverse experiences and achievements.

GENDER IDENTITY SHOULD NOT BE A BARRIER TO SPORT.

Pride in Sport is hosting a FREE online event to both celebrate and educate the community about transgender and gender diverse inclusion in sport. This is a public event and open to everyone!

WHEN: Wednesday 31 March 2021

TIME: 12noon-1:30pm (AEDT)

WHERE: Via Zoom

After several national sporting organisations released their respective governance on trans inclusion, the journey has only just begun to ensure all sporting codes become more inclusive for trans and gender diverse individuals across Australia.

This online session will look at some of the disproportionate effects currently placed on the trans community, review the current protectory for sporting codes active in this space, and discuss the highs and lows of personal experiences in sport.

EVERY PERSON HAS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORT.

Joining us for this event:

- Ricki Coughlan (she/her)

- Roxy Tickle (she/her)

- Taylor Ling (they/them)

- Kate Palmer (she/her)

Hosted by Pride in Sport’s National Program Manager, Beau Newell (he/him), this event is not to be missed.

www.prideinsport.com.au/trans

Panel bios

Ricki Coughlan

(she/her)

Widely recognised within the sporting industry as one of the world’s first public transgender athletes [athletics], Ricki brings a breadth of knowledge and life experience to this event. Two of her big passions are running and helping other people become their own champion through performance running, fitness, and personal development. In her years of running and training Ricki has won State championships, and even been picked for State teams. Her amazing self-esteem has continuously evolved as every day she tore down negative self-belief and fostered a champion’s mindset.

Roxy Tickle

(she/her)

Roxy is an avid Hockey player, from regional NSW. Her advocacy for the greater inclusion of trans athletes in sport was highlighted as a key spokesperson for Hockey Australia at the launch of their Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Community Hockey. Having completed that personal affirmation journey, Ms Tickle is re-discovering her love of hockey, a sport she last experienced as a man back in her twenties – highlighting the positive impact a sports inclusion governance can have on participants at community level.

Kate Palmer

(she/her)

Kate is one of Australia’s most experienced and highly regarded sports executives, having held the positions of CEO at Sport Australia (2017-2020), Netball Australia (2007-2017), and newly appointed CEO overseeing the One Athletics merger. Palmer became the first woman to head Sport Australia and during her three-year tenure led the rebranding of the organisation, governance reform among national sports organisations, put in place safeguards to protect children in sporting environments, and oversaw the development of the National guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.

Taylor Ling

(they/them)

Taylor has been playing a variety of sports from a young age. Having played cricket for over 10 years now, Taylor found solace in their cricket community and has been out as non-binary for 3 years. Taylor currently plays in the women’s completion due to the constraints of binary competitions on offer. However, they have really enjoy playing cricket with their friends. Taylor is also an indigenous person; Taylor has a unique perspective of the barriers faced in sport to marginalised communities.

Beau Newell (Host)

(he/him)

Beau is the National Program Manager of Pride in Sport, and often speaks on his professional and personal experiences as an out person in sport. More notably was his TEDx session on Eliminating the Self Edit – an earnest insight into the way people hide their true selves from others, for fear of discrimination, harassment and bullying. Through the lens of sport, Beau’s story provides insight into the disproportionate effects that self-editing can have on LGBTQ people in sport, and how systematic change is required to provide safer and more inclusive environments for people with diverse genders and sexualities.