How to make your fitness space more inclusive for trans folk
This July saw a huge celebration of Trans Pride, not just in London but up and down the country; breaking previous attendance records. This increase in attendance reflects the increasing strength of feeling of many in society who want to combat disinformation and advocate for prioritisation of Trans rights.
Protest sign reading ‘Trans People Belong’ held against a pink and blue background to symbolise the Transgender flag.
People care about Trans rights and are showing up to demonstrate their support for Trans individuals, and you can use your platform to support the community by implementing trans-inclusive policies at your organisation. It may feel a bit daunting to understand what you can do to welcome Trans people into your fitness or wellness space, so we’ve got 5 useful tips to get you started on your journey.
1) Normalise the usage of pronouns
This about breaking down societal assumptions of a gender binary. A simple example of why this is important is when people have unisex names (e.g. Tyler, Alex, Ashley) or non-Anglican names. When emailing people with these names they are often incorrectly assumed to be a man or woman, however, if we consistently use pronouns in email mistakes such as this can be prevented.
Potential action points:
Add pronouns to name badges/create a name badge policy that includes pronouns
Include your pronouns in your email signature
State pronouns when introducing people e.g. speakers, clients etc.
2) Implementation of Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Many media outlets and politicians claim that trans people are a source of danger in public bathrooms, but there is no evidence to back this up. Actually, trans people are more likely to be assaulted in bathrooms than cisgender people. A recent example of this is a 17-year old Minnesota girl called Cobalt, she opted to use the boy’s bathroom at her school and her jaw was broken by other boys.
A gender-neutral bathroom is essentially the same as the bathroom you have in your home. It’s easy to fall into the trap of simply changing the sign on the Disabled Bathroom to make it gender neutral as well but this is lazy and encroaches on a space that should be reserved for disabled people. The bathroom is where we are all at our most vulnerable, therefore absolute privacy is a must. If you do not have the budget to create an additional gender-neutral bathroom I would suggest instead you put up signs on the bathrooms showing that they are trans inclusive and that non-binary people can use whichever bathroom they are comfortable in.
Potential action points:
Ideally individual cubicles with floor to ceiling privacy
Bins for sanitary products
If you have urinals you can still label them as such, but try to put a stress on cubicles
IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE BUDGET – put signs on the bathrooms showing that they are trans inclusive and that non-binary people can use whichever one they are comfortable in.
3) Discourage the use of gendered terms (such as ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’)
Whether or not you have any non-binary people at your organisation it is important to stop using gendered phrases. By doing this you can create a positive culture at your organisation and achieve genuine inclusion, this will make both staff and customers feel more comfortable.
Potential action points:
Use the singular ‘they’ – this is less clunky and more inclusive than phrases like ‘boys and girls’ or ‘his or her’
Fun fact! The singular ‘they’ is grammatically correct and there is recorded use of it since the 14th century - Shakespeare also used it.
Address your staff and customers using inclusive words like ‘people’ and ‘folks’.
4) Do your research and learn from your mistakes
If someone in your organisation is transitioning, be supportive and celebrate them. Even if your organisation doesn’t have any openly trans or non-binary people, doing your research may make someone feel comfortable to open up to you. It may be that you know nothing about trans people and that’s okay, you can ask questions. But try to keep it light, as whilst there is nothing wrong with genuine curiosity it’s often better to do some research in private.
Potential action points:
Read books like ‘The Transgender Issue’ (Shon Faye) and ‘What’s the T’ (Juno Dawson)
Watch TV series like ‘Orange is the New Black’ and ‘Euphoria’
Follow people like Shon Faye and Rose Montoya
5) Ask them what they need
Many organisations implement DEI measures with the aim of trans inclusion without actually consulting any trans people. They may dislike every recommendation I’ve made, or they may love them, there’s no way of saying as trans people are not a monolith just like how gay or Black people aren’t.
Potential action points:
Hold open discussions with trans people – they should be able to speak freely
Consulting with the people you are aiming to lift up will enable you to cater to them properly
Moving forward
These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Embrace ideas and the constructive feedback offered by trans people. Your business is constantly evolving and your approach to DEI should too; the ultimate aim is to work with your staff and clients instead of ‘copy and pasting’ DEI solutions that may or may not be relevant to your organisation. Talk to your trans friends, employees and customers, educate yourself, and be creative. This will allow you to achieve true trans inclusion in your fitness and/or wellness space.
The werk. team are here to help. Get in touch for further support on your DEI.
