Non-Binary Working Group - Sport Sub-Group minutes: 12 January 2022

Attendees and apologies

Attendees

• Jane Gallacher, Active Scotland Unit, Scottish Government
• Angela Robinson, Active Scotland Unit, Scottish Government

Group members

• Dr Ben Vincent, The Open University (Chair)
• Vic Valentine, Scottish Trans
• Megan Snedden, Stonewall Scotland
• Katrina Mitchell, LGBT Health and Wellbeing
• Non-binary community members

Secretariat

• Keir McDonald, Equality Unit, Scottish Government
• Chloe Coldwell, Equality Unit, Scottish Government
• Laurie Donaldson, Equality Unit, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Key discussion points

The group discussed:

• solutions to the issues within sport faced by trans people could help many other groups who felt excluded from sport
• sport-related issues could be solved at grassroots level, but this would need financial support
• competition level sport and how this did not address how the majority of people accessed sport
• broad benefits of participation in sport on mental health
• difficult atmosphere in the media around trans participation in sport
• ways to address perceived misinformation in existing trans inclusion guidance
• LEAP Sports Scotland and the Equality Network had existing sets of principles
• including trans equality in EQIAs
• issues experienced by non-binary people could partially be addressed through redecoration and rearranging of gym equipment
• reforming building regulations to make changes more wide reaching and intersectional
• work on harassment within gym facilities, including whether this could be inclusive of trans people

Action: SG officials will discuss with colleagues in building standards to see where the responsibility for accessibility and inclusion sits.