6th Annual Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium Film Screening and Discussion: "Changing the Game"

Theme: Trans Inclusion in Athletics

Michael Barnett’s dynamic documentary takes us into the lives of three high school athletes—all at different stages of their athletic seasons, personal lives, and their unique paths as transgender teens. Their stories span across the U.S.—from Sarah, a skier and teen policymaker in New Hampshire, to Andraya, a track star in Connecticut openly transitioning into her authentic self. The film centers on Mack Beggs, who made headlines last year when he became the Texas State Champion in wrestling and was heralded as a hero by some while receiving hate and threats from others.

Trans athletes have to work harder than their cisgender peers in order to thrive in their field while also having the courage and resilience to face daily harassment and discrimination. The kids in this film have found sports as a way to channel the negativity around them into a positive, to gain a sense of self-worth and validation. This film is their urgent, articulate plea for acceptance.

This year we will have a dialogue around including transgender and non-binary individuals into binary sports. Recent policies currently discouraged transgender and non-binary individuals from participating in certain sports and their teams because of guidelines around including transitioning individuals. This dialogue will encourage current athletes and attendees to have challenging conversations to come up with possible solutions on how we can encourage transgender and non-binary individuals to participate in sports and take action to change exclusive policies.