STATEMENT FROM FRNY

Visibility is to be recognized, heard, and accepted. At our core FRNY is about LGBTQ+ visibility in running. This includes our trans and non-binary siblings, elders, and generations to come. On Trans Day of Visibility, we commemorate the significant contributions of our trans and non-binary members and celebrate their continued existence and inclusion both within our organization and beyond.

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On March 23, 2023, World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, road running, and cross country, announced that they will ban transgender women from elite women’s competition and increase restrictions for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD). Front Runners New York is extremely disappointed in this ruling. Although World Athletics purports that this ruling is in the interest of “integrity and fairness,” they acknowledged in a statement that there are currently no transgender athletes competing internationally and that the policy changes would primarily affect previous Olympic winners, which underscores the targeted and discriminatory nature of this policy. 

As an organization devoted to the inclusivity and safety of the LGBTQIA+ community in sports, FRNY believes that the exclusion of trans athletes to appease loud cultural voices is antithetical to the idea of sportsmanship. World Athletics’ ban on transgender athletes, and restriction of athletes with DSD, contribute to dangerous misconceptions that perpetuate discrimination, oppression, and violence against the trans community. Furthermore, such guidelines are developed from limited evidence regarding the alleged physical advantages of transgender athletes. Regardless of whether or not trans athletes are currently competing at the international elite level, this ruling will damage the integrity and accessibility of sports at all levels. The ruling takes effect on Trans Day of Visibility, a specific and harmful choice by World Athletics on a day meant to celebrate the lives of trans people. 

Front Runners New York aims to be a voice for inclusivity in sports. In the wake of World Athletics’ ruling, we will continue to fight for the equity and inclusion of our members, and all queer athletes, in sport.