GLAAD’s Post

📺 🏅 We're watching the 2024 Olympics! Anyone else bouncing between 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, kayaking and more?? On one hand, the Games are a celebration of diversity. Athletes from every corner of the globe come together to showcase their talents, representing a mosaic of cultures, identities, and experiences. This is a powerful reminder that sports can break down barriers and foster understanding among different communities. There are a record 191 openly 🌈 LGBTQ+ Olympians! It's inspiring to see how the Olympic stage as a platform for promoting inclusivity and equality. 🌟🏅 However, alongside this progress, we must also confront the realities of xenophobia and bias that have emerged. From the misguided criticism of the opening ceremonies (https://lnkd.in/dA3XSXmt) to misogyny and sexism seeping into event commentary (https://lnkd.in/dpDS2nJz), there remain ever-present obstacles to our core values of respect and unity. This is a reminder that our work towards inclusivity is ongoing and that we must remain vigilant against bias. Keep up the good work, folks! How you talk about these Games will send a message about the culture you are working to create. 🌐🤝 #Olympics2024 #DiversityAndInclusion #GlobalUnity #LGBTQRepresentation #CelebrateDiversity #EducateAgainstBias

Welcome to another Thursday Thought! 🌟 Today, let's delve into the Paralympics and its impact on the disability movement. The Paralympics showcase the incredible athleticism of disabled athletes, highlighting their capabilities and challenging societal perceptions of disability. This visibility can inspire pride and drive positive change in how disabled people are viewed and treated. The focus on elite athletes can sometimes overshadow the everyday experiences of most disabled people. The portrayal of Paralympians as "superheroes" can inadvertently set unrealistic expectations and perpetuate the notion that only extraordinary achievements are valued. Moreover, the Paralympics often receive less media coverage and funding compared to the Olympics, reflecting ongoing inequalities. What are your thoughts? #ThursdayThoughts #Paralympics #DisabilityAwareness #Inclusion #DisabilityMovement #Realism #VisibilityMatters #InclusiveSports #Equality #Community #EverydayHeroes ID: A single finger pointing upwards towards the text "THURSDAY THOUGHT..." followed by "The Paralympic Games" against a plain blue background.

It's inspiring to see the progress towards gender parity at the Olympics, with a near 50% representation. While there's been significant improvement and there was some 'creative' rounding, there's still work to be done to support gender-diverse individuals in sports. With 10,500 athletes at the Olympics, the non-binary/trans representation should ideally be closer to 100-200, rather than just "2" (likely many unreported). It's crucial to strive for inclusivity not just at the Olympics level, but in the family and youth recreational sport. Taking action is key. When registering for sports, we all need to advocate for inclusive practices. Encourage organizations to move beyond binary gender options by using terms like "Open" or promoting mixed-gender teams for greater diversity. Make sure you know the pronouns of athletes and use them. As I gear up for the Canadian Orienteering Championships this weekend, the importance of promoting inclusivity in sports remains clear. Let's work together to create a more diverse and welcoming sporting environment for all. #nonBinary #Inclusion #sports. #nikkiHiltz #Quinn #Trans

While I agree with much of what Skye Nicolson said, being transgender is not a choice or decision - it's a fundamental aspect of who someone is. The statement she made is problematic and disrespectful to trans people: 1. It implies that being trans is a choice or decision, rather than an innate part of someone's identity. We don't "decide to call ourselves" a certain gender - our gender identity is core to who we are. 2. It suggests that we transition or identify as our true gender for ulterior motives (like competing in sports), rather than to live authentically as ourselves. 3. It invalidates our experiences by implying we aren't "really" the gender we know ourselves to be. 4. It perpetuates harmful misconceptions about what it means to be transgender, potentially fueling discrimination. 5. It fails to recognize that trans women are women, trans men are men, and nonbinary people are nonbinary people, regardless of the sex they were assigned at birth. 6. It oversimplifies the complex realities of sex, gender identity, and human biology. For us, living as our true gender is simply about being who we are - not about gaining any kind of advantage or ulterior motive. Statements like this one demonstrate a lack of understanding about trans experiences and identities. They can be very hurtful to trans people who are simply trying to live authentically and be recognized for who they truly are. FYI: I am NOT A a fan of fake, I mean Fox News, but couldn't find this exact article anywhere else. #TransRights #TransgenderAwareness #RespectTransIdentities #TransAthletes #EducateYourself #GenderIdentity #TransInclusion #TransVisibility #SportsEquality #TransLivesMatter #InclusiveSports

Thursday Thoughts: The Paralympic Games and Individual Choice Welcome to another Thursday Thought! Let's discuss the Paralympic Games and the importance of recognising individual preferences within the disabled community. Paralympic Representation: The Paralympic Games highlight extraordinary athleticism and challenge stereotypes about disability, offering positive representation. Diverse Perspectives: Not every disabled person aspires to be a Paralympian, and that's perfectly valid. While the Games provide important visibility, it's essential not to assume everyone desires or should pursue athletic achievements. Respect and Diversity: ✨ Varied Aspirations: Understand that disabled individuals have diverse interests and goals. ✨Avoid Assumptions: Appreciate that sports representation is one facet of disability representation, not universal. ✨ Support Individual Choices: Encourage inclusivity by respecting personal preferences and aspirations. Celebrating Diversity: Let's celebrate the achievements of Paralympic athletes while respecting the diversity of paths and passions within the disabled community. #ThursdayThoughts #Paralympics #DisabilityRepresentation #Inclusion ID: Text reading 'Thursday Thought... Equity vs Equality' with a pointing finger on a pink background.

“With 100 days to go until the Paris Games, the IPC’s Andrew Parsons says it is vital for disability rights they are the best ever.” “We’re talking about the 4,400 athletes living in the village, but we also want to be able to influence positively the lives of 1.2bn people with disability,” Parsons says. “We have the feeling that persons with disability have been forgotten in some of these international debates. If you see some other movements, and we applaud them all, [those related to] gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation have moved a lot, while the persons with disability have been left behind. “The pandemic has shown us, if you see the number of persons with disability and the kind of health assistance that was provided to them even in very developed countries, the policies that were designed to be very inclusive were not,” says Parsons, who does not have a disability. “Sometimes you don’t see persons with disability in those top discussions [and this is] fundamental to design the policies that will lead to real inclusion.” “I believe we have the best platform to help change that because, if you think on sport, politics, culture, whatever, the Paralympic Games is the only event of global impact that puts persons with disabilities centre stage. That’s why we understand the responsibility we have. “In September, the United Nations will host its summit for the future to look again at its sustainability goals. In this critical moment wWe have the Paralympic Games as a platform one month prior to it. It’s a very good opportunity that we don’t want to waste.” Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 International Paralympic Committee #Paris2024 #Paralympics

Today it was recognized that EVERY SINGLE Anti-LGBTQ+ (there were over 20) was defeated in Georgia. There are indications that the tide is turning and folks are getting tired of the BS being spewed about LGBTQ+ and especially our trans community. Last weekend while watching the Women's NCAA Swimming Championships I noticed the waves stirred up a couple of years ago about transgender swimmers had died down. Maybe it was because people realized it was ridiculous to suggest that someone would change their gender to win at a sport. It is also because of those who are stepping up and telling their stories. In fact, Lia Thomas is not the first transgender athlete to swim for their college. Schuyler Bailar swam for the Harvard Men's Swimming and Diving team as the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer. (https://lnkd.in/gHb9w7UM) So what does this have to do with financial services? Everything! Our industry's demographics do not match the changing demographics of our country. Unless we change and accept others for who they are, we are going to be losing clients, advisors, and staff. That is not a sustainable business model in 2024. Please join us on Tuesday, April 2, at 11CT for our Females and Finance Community Roundtable where we will be talking about ESG and how we can help our LGBTQ+ clients invest in their values! Register Now: https://lnkd.in/g6bCY95R Learn more about UNITY here: https://lnkd.in/ewgqVXRX #TransDayOfVisability #TDOV #LGBTQIA #LGBTQ+

Whether it be state-by-state laws that are divergent in nature, international federations putting out mandates that may not match a member country’s intrinsic values and all in the background of the pandemic-era reckoning about race and diversity throughout the United States, national governing bodies throughout the U.S. Olympic movement have a list of topics to debate and measures to enact beyond the mere goal of preparing athletes for this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. The idea of diversity, equity and inclusion in sports has been a years-long discussion. Several national governing bodies are working on how to support athletes in the LGBTQ+ space and increase diversity in sport through programs that are more than merely DEI-driven initiatives.

As I finish my last day of law school classes, I finally get to share a labor of love I've worked on the last two years. I'm thrilled to announce that my note has been published in Volume 101 of Washington University Law Review. I'm so grateful for the countless hours my colleagues spent helping refine this piece for publication! In this note, I grapple with the legality of adopting a third-gender category to regulate transgender-athlete participation in elite sports. Specifically, I argue both that a state-imposed third-gender category would violate the Equal Protection Clause and that state public accommodation laws prevent private sport governing bodies from implementing a third-gender category. As we enter into the Olympic season, this note serves as a reminder of the implications that follow any discussion about transgender inclusion in sport. I hope my legal analysis will help clarify what steps governing bodies could take to ultimately help transgender athletes find a role within elite sport. If there must be special structures in place for transgender athletes wishing to compete at the elite level, this note demonstrates that relegating those athletes to a third category is not a viable solution, at least not under United States legal regimes. If you're interested in learning more, the online version is available here:

Did the furore over Imane Khelif mean anything for how sport approaches the transgender issue, or for the broader culture war? It had a few peculiarities that might mean the answer to that question is no... In this story, I try to untangle the threads.