Brighton & Hove FrontRunners aims to promote and provide opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) people and their supporters to run, race, volunteer and improve their well-being in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Brighton & Hove FrontRunners strives to be:
Enjoyable
Progressive
Inclusive
Community focused
We want to encourage trans and non-binary (NB) people to become more involved in running and feel comfortable in joining and being a member of our club. This page will hopefully help answer most questions but if you have anything else you want to ask or discuss, then please feel free to get in touch with us directly.
Trans and NB awareness
Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth and includes those who identify with both genders or neither (called non binary). We acknowledge that trans and non-binary people may face incorrect assumptions, and remind our members to consider:
- Confusing sex with gender – sex is how you are defined at birth (i.e. male or female, normally based on sex characteristics), whereas gender is a psychological identification encompassing societal roles (i.e. boy/man or girl/woman)
- Sex also includes Intersex which is a general term for a person born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male
- Gender presentation – it’s important not to make assumptions about someone’s gender based on their physical presentation. This is particularly important when thinking about people who identify as non-binary or androgynous
- Misgendering – making an incorrect assumption about someone’s gender can offend and upset, so it’s important to ask which pronoun to use, such as “he”, “she” or “they”
- Conflating sexuality with gender – trans people can be heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual
- Disclosure – trans people may be “in the closet” or live openly, and this is their decision to make
- The process of change – transitioning to a preferred gender may be an ongoing process that takes time, and may or may not involve surgery or medical treatment
There some good FAQs here
Dealing with transphobia
As an LGBTQ+ organisation, we seek to encourage diversity through mutual tolerance and respect of others. We have expectations of members and is explicit that we will not accept bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation of any kind.
Reduced fees
The club supports those on low income by offering reduced membership fees . Please speak in confidence to a committee member as this is determined on a case by case basis.
Kit
Running is a relatively simple sport to get involved with from a clothing perspective. You just need some trainers, shorts and a top! The club offers a selection of items, however these are still labelled as men’s and women’s. Unfortunately this is unavoidable for ordering purposes, but rest assured all different kit is worn by our members and is a personal choice on fit and size – no matter how you identify!
UK Athletics rules
The Gender Recognition Act (2004) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) allow certain circumstances where trans people can be prevented from competing in sport as their preferred gender to ensure fair competition or the safety of others.
UK Athletics (UKA) is signed up to the Government’s Charter against transphobia. We are not affiliated to UK Athletics just yet, but when we are we will update this page with the most up to date information.
More information and useful links
If you would like to speak to us directly and in confidence about any of the above please contact our Welfare Officer, Damian, via our email address brightonandhovefrontrunners@gmail.com or reach out to us on social media. The links below also provide further information on trans and non-binary participation in sport.
Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign – https://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/rainbow-laces
Gendered Inteligence trans inclusion in sport project – https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/project/trans-inclusion-in-sport.html
Trans Can Sport – Brighton based sports group – https://www.transcansport.co.uk/