Queer Sporting Alliance, Glenorchy Basketball Association providing competition and inclusion for trans people

Transgender and gender-diverse Tasmanians are relishing the opportunity to take part in team sports, saying it is a significant way to affirm their identity.

SIX months ago, 26-year-old transgender woman Maia Cook played a team sport for the first time.

Not long before that, she came out to her friends and family and began transitioning.

Ms Cook now plays basketball in the Glenorchy Basketball Association’s social Sundays program, supported by the Queer Sporting Alliance (QSA).

She said that growing up on the North-West Coast, the prospect of playing a team sport was intimidating for someone like her.

“I know men’s sports are probably generally supportive and inclusive, but my experience growing up definitely coloured my expectations,” Ms Cook said.

“It was unfortunate that I didn’t get to experience the benefits of team sport growing up. However, I’m glad that as a trans woman, I am empowered by our sporting bodies and the state’s anti-discrimination laws to play sport with other women.”

So why is it important that transgender and gender-diverse people be allowed to participate in sporting competitions that align with their own gender identity?

“As a trans woman, efforts by society to recognise and affirm my identity mean so much,” Ms Cook said. “Participating in team sport improves my overall wellbeing, and a significant part of that is because I am able to play with other women.”

“I want to be clear that playing basketball with other women for the first time wasn’t easy for me. Having been aware of the debate about my right to participate in sport with other women, I was actually quite anxious at the beginning.

“Thankfully my club and my teammates were super supportive, and this made it so much easier for me.”

Glenorchy Basketball Association president Rod Graham and Queer Sport Alliance basketball player Maia Cook. Picture: Chris Kidd

Glenorchy Basketball Association president Rod Graham said he believed sport was “for everyone”, which was why the GBA had worked to provide a “safe and healthy” space for all people to play basketball.

“When clubs put inclusion and participation in front of winning games, the community will benefit,” Mr Graham said.

“Inclusion is about giving everyone an opportunity. The real question for GBA is not just about helping trans people – which we are happy to do – but if you can help people, sporting organisations should.”

KJ Johnson helps organise the QSA basketball competition, which primarily plays its games at the Moonah Sport Centre. They said the demand for a “queer, sober community space” had proved to be significant.

“We were able to get five teams together in a matter of a few weeks for the first season in Tassie,” they said. “It has been incredible to watch the community develop in Moonah. I’ve seen individuals grow and acknowledge their own gender identity within the safety and support of the QSA community.”

The QSA was founded by non-binary basketballer Stella Lesic in 2015, starting off as a single queer-friendly basketball team in Melbourne. Six years later, it has become the country’s biggest LGBTIQA+-inclusive community multi-discipline sporting club and has the financial support of the Tasmanian government.

In October, the QSA will expand to the North of the state, holding free training sessions at YMCA Launceston for would-be basketballers.

Ms Cook said most Australians didn’t have first-hand experience playing sport alongside trans people.

“Unfortunately, this means that people’s understanding of what it means for a trans woman to play sport with other women may be easily influenced by some of the prejudiced and farcical views that are floating around at the moment,” she said.

“That’s why I think it’s really important that there are strong ally voices in the community to help people understand that trans women are not a threat and, in many cases, sport inclusivity is beneficial for the health and wellbeing of all women.”