Change in governing body legislation to include a non-binary gender category
THEMES
– Participation in sport for LGBTQIA+ people
– Policies relating to sex and gender
– Information collection and records
TARGETED OBJECTIVES
– Promote non-binary inclusion in running.
– Promote non-binary gender race categories for all UK races.
MAIN INITIATIVE
Edinburgh Frontrunners (EFR) is a running club for LGBTQIA+ people and friends. It is an all-abilities club including regular Learn to Run programmes and a walking group. EFR was founded in October 2013, following the general model of the global Frontrunners movement (an initiative to support LGBTQIA+ runners). It has since become a leader in diversity and equality activism, helping pioneer the introduction of the non-binary category in athletics. EFR began by changing their personal membership forms to create an open field for recording gender and promoting the explicit inclusion of non-binary people. Also, they ensured that gender neutral changing and showering options were
made available at both leisure centres the club used.
In October 2016 they supported a local running festival to open their race entries to include a non-binary gender category. At this stage the category was not officially recognised by Scottish Athletics, the national governing body, but it encouraged EFR to push for non-binary inclusion in racing events. With the support of EFR, Scottish Athletics implemented an intermediate rule change for 2017 to allow them to organise the first ever licensed race with the non-binary category. A full rule change for 2018 was implemented and by 2019 this was extended to all athletics in Scotland, including SA
Championships, so that by April 2019 the non-binary category became a mandatory licence condition for all Scottish Athletics Championship events.
BENEFICIARIES
LGBTQIA+ people aged 18+.
IMPACT OF THE INITIATIVE
Change in governing body legislation to include a non-binary gender category in all Scottish Athletics licenced races and wider athletics in Scotland. National Championships have made the inclusion of the non-binary category as a mandatory condition of getting a licence. This is also the case in some UK Athletics licenced races.
EFR began by changing their personal membership forms to create an open field for recording gender and promoting the explicit inclusion of non-binary people.
SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY
The club is really sustainable because the non-binary category became a mandatory licence condition for all Scottish Athletics Championship events. This has put the existence of non-binary people firmly on entry forms for hundreds of events across Scotland and, to a lesser extent, in the rest of the UK. T
The challenge is ensuring races do include a non-binary category and adhere to current guidance. Education of the policy among race licence grantors will ensure this.
It is transferrable to other individual sports. It requires working with governing bodies to provide evidence to build a case for including non-binary gender categories.
WEBSITE OR RELATED RESOURCES