Say Gay hits Texas

The Say Gay design by artist and community organizer Layne (Scherer) Kyung was released in March 2022 as a fundraiser for the Trans Youth Equality Foundation. Read Layne’s original thoughts on the conversation starter Say Gay design.

Say Gay Heads to Austin, Texas

Layne and her team are competing in the 2023 Goaltimate National Championships in Austin, Texas in Say Gay jerseys. In preparation of the this event, Lanye has shared an update with us. 

Trans Rights are Human Rights: Spotlight on Texas 

Almost a year ago, I had the privilege of working with VC Ultimate on a Say Gay shirt to raise awareness on the anti-LGBTQIA2+ legislation and to raise funds for Trans Youth Equality Foundation. Since then, the threat and attacks on the rights of transgender adults and youth have escalated across the nation in states that seek to end health care access, diminish wellbeing, and persecute the existence of transgender people. For those less familiar with transgender people, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, transgender is a broad term that describes people who identify as a sex or gender different from the sex they were assigned at birth. 

These issues are front and center in my mind as I will be making my way to Round Rock, Texas next week for Goaltimate Nationals. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, there are 13 pieces of legislation in Texas right now that seek to end rights for transgender people. The team that I am playing on, GoalT4T, is made up of queer and transgender players who will be asked to enter a hostile environment for this event. The players, based in Washington, DC and Austin, TX, see our team as a safe space not only for each other, but for queer and transgender players from other teams who may seek community while playing at Goaltimate nationals (come find us and say hello!). 

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, there are 13 pieces of legislation in Texas right now that seek to end rights for transgender people. The team that I am playing on, GoalT4T, is made up of queer and transgender players who will be asked to enter a hostile environment for this event.

Of course, while some of us will be visiting Texas as guests, the rights of the transgender community in the state will remain vulnerable as long as anti-trans legislation is allowed. While there are many ways that certain members of the Texas state legislature look to limit the rights of transgender people, one that might be of particular interest is TX SB15, which is summarized as “Relating to requiring a student of a public institution of higher education who competes in intercollegiate athletic competitions to do so based on the student's biological sex.” This bill serves as a reminder that while the ultimate community may continue to benefit from advocacy and learning from the transgender community, there are many athletes whose sport may not allow them to compete due to their identity. 

What can we do to support transgender players and people in our lives? One way is to continue to stay educated, vote, and donate to groups that are fighting for the rights of transgender people and have a mission to provide them with resources, such as the Trans Youth Equality Foundation, the National Center for Transgender Equality (where they provide a state-by-state breakdown of legislation and actions you can take), and the ​​Trans People of Color Coalition. Another way is to address anti-transgender sentiments and behavior when they come up in everyday life, and to listen to transgender and nonbinary people on how they would like your support, see this article from Mags Colvett on Creating Welcoming Spaces for Trans and Nonbinary Players for ideas. 

While the issues of transgender rights are being fought all the way up through the highest levels of government in our country, the work can begin with each and every one of us to support those in our community. 

Follow Layne (Scherer) Kyung on Twitter at @LayneAKyung