Gender Inclusion Update
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2019
Contact: Jennifer Brown, ASANA
Email: fieldandteamops@asanaseries.org
Phone: 856-341-0470
AMATEUR SPORTS ALLIANCE OF NORTH AMERICA (ASANA)
PROMOTES GENDER-INCLUSION IN AMATEUR ATHLETICS
ASANA will now welcome all cisgender women, trans-women, trans-men, and non-binary individuals, regardless of sex assigned at birth, to be eligible to play in the ASANA Softball World Series
LONG BEACH, CA – The Amateur Sports Alliance of North America (ASANA), organizers of the annual ASANA Softball World Series, has announced an update to its governing documents to promote gender-inclusion in amateur athletics.
On February 9, 2019, the ASANA Council, composed of representatives from 25 member associations across the United States and the ASANA Board of Directors, participated in an instructor-led training session focused on cultural competency with an emphasis on gender-inclusion. Following the training session, the Council engaged in an informed and open discussion about gender-inclusion at the ASANA Softball World Series. Subsequently, the Council voted to remove the definition of “woman” in the ASANA Softball Code and replace it with a definition of “Eligible Playing Participant” in all future documentation. “ASANA is proud to be an organization that promotes inclusion on and off the field,” said ASANA Director of Field and Team Operations, Jennifer Brown. “We are excited to share an updated definition that reflects those values.”
The previous “Code 1.42: Woman” defined – “Any player shall be eligible for play in the Women’s Division who self-identifies as female.” The updated Code “Eligible Playing Participant” shall define – “Any player who identifies as a woman, transgender, or non-binary shall be eligible for play in the ASANA Softball World Series.”
According to the organization’s mission statement, ASANA is dedicated to the promotion of amateur athletics for all persons regardless of gender, age, race, creed, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation with a special emphasis on the participation of Women’s+ members of the LGBTQIA community.
“We strive to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for all members of our community,” Brown said. “Under the updated definition, all cisgender women, trans-women, trans-men, and non-binary individuals, regardless of sex assigned at birth, are eligible to play at the ASANA Softball World Series. Those identifying as cisgender men remain eligible to participate as non-playing members, such as coaches, managers, trainers, scorekeepers, and fans.”
About ASANA
ASANA was created in 2007 as a non-profit organization comprised of women dedicated to promoting the participation LGBTQIA people in organized softball competition. The association has member leagues in 25 cities throughout the United States, and many of them participate in the ASANA Softball World Series, which is hosted each year in a different member city. The 12th annual ASANA Softball World Series will be held from August 27 – 31, 2019 in Long Beach, CA.
Website: asanaseries.org
Facebook: facebook.com/ASANASoftballWorldSeries/
Instagram: instagram.com/asanaball/
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Jennifer Brown at 856-341-0470 or email fieldandteamops@asanaseries.org.
For definitions of many of the terms used in this press release, please see the Human Rights Campaign Glossary of Terms at https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms. A selection of relevant terms are listed below:
Cisgender – A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Gender identity – One’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Non-binary – An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do.
Sex assigned at birth – The sex (male or female) given to a child at birth, most often based on the child’s external anatomy. This is also referred to as “assigned sex at birth.”
Transgender – An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.