Slides of the workshop hold during the 6th TGEU Council, Bologna 2-5 June 2016

1. Accessibility to Physical Activity
and Sport for Trans* people
living in EU
Natascia Bernardi
MSc. Sports Science
6th TGEU CONCIL in Bologna, 4th June 2016

2. Accessibility to Physical Activity and Sports
• Intro
• Personal experiences
• Environment
• Motivation
• Conclusion

3. Introduction
• Myself
• What would you like to know at
the end of this session?
• The workshop

4. Personal Experiences
• Can you tell me your experience in exercising and doing sport?
• When did you start? Are you doing any exercising or sport at the
moment?
• How many times per week and how long do you exercise/do sports?

5. Environment
• Where do you usually exercise/do sport?
• Is the gym/court/sport facility comfortable for you to reach?
• Why do you go there and not somewhere else?

6. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
I had a really hard time mostly in the changing room, and I still have it now when I am
forced to go there. This is because, for example at school, I cannot really go into the male
toilette: I still have to go in the female toilette, and practically I have to make sure that
nobody is there, because I feel uncomfortable and it's like I have to run out again. For the
gym, it is quite the same [...] I dunno when I arrive to the changing room and I have to
decide male or female, I am like still confused... not even confused, but uncomfortable: I do
not know where to go because I feel like, if I get there: the male room, maybe someone can
think I am a girl, so they could bother me and arrive also, as there is an expression, 'to hold
hands on your neck', so I would rather avoid. But then, if I go in the female changing room, I
admit to society that I am a girl, which I am not, and then girls might feel uncomfortable
because my body language is sending a male signal and they could feel uncomfortable, like
as I am trying to spy them... and also I would feel like observed.
Michael, 20 years old

7. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
The problem arose when I was swimming with that friend in that actual pool.
Then some guys who were like 14 or 12 or something, started harassing us
and saying that in their opinion we were girls and asking us if... what our
genitals look like and crazy things like that, which was very offensive. Yes, [I
reported] to the staff at the swimming place. And they went straight there to
them, when we were still there and telling them to do not get off or they
would not be able to come back. So, they stopped and they apologized
although it did not sound very sincere. But it is fine, I suppose. No one has
the right to question one's gender.
Haiden, 18 years old

8. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
I remember once when I was training at Thai boxing and I did not have a full transition
then, but then socially I transitioned and I looked like a boy, but anyways... [...] a coach in
Thai boxing and asked me to go and train with him.
Then, I went once and it went well: I was fighting as hell... but then he asked me if I was
actually able to shower after the training and I said that I did not want to and I left. Then he
asked me again, and I had to say that I felt uncomfortable in showering there [...] and I
explained him why. At the end he told me that since I was feeling in that way, I was able to
shower in the female changing room. And I was like: 'Didn't you understand what I just told
you one second ago?' So, may be people do not understand what trans* means and then
again, if there would have been a private locker room, it would be so much easier for me to
train.
Stefan, 21 years old

9. Motivation
• What do you think about exercising/doing sports?
• What do you like better about exercising/doing sports?
• What do you like less about exercising/doing sports?

10. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
I think I want to be seen in another way that I do and in the gym it
gets so obvious that I do not have a man body. It's all these
mirrors everywhere and I get so aware of my own body, all the
time. I think it is hard.
Liam, 25 years old

11. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
I like body exercising and a lot of gymnastic exercising and with fitness
and stuff, I like a lot the feeling about moving [...] I like having the
feeling to be in control of my own body. So, if I want to high stand, I can
do that, because I have the control about all my body. I can run miles...
I can like... if I want to do something, I do not want to feel that I cannot
do it.
Stefan, 21 years old

12. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
• TRAINING CLOTHES
Now I actually don't [exercise] because with the binder I have a little breath
and I am always so stressed about the sports and everything: for the
changing room, because for me it is like I have to change and it takes a little
bit for me to change because of the binder and because it requires not a
little but some time: I have to take them off, then the air starts to get... (deep
exhaling breath)... then I don't breath... and then I have... sometimes I do
with the binder, because I do not want people to see that I have breasts. Or
sometimes, if I am really, like I don't breath also because it is painful for me
because I have a big breast and I need air when I exercise, then I use a sport
bra but it is quite... quite uncomfortable for me staying around with it, so...
Michael, 20 years old

13. Some experiences of trans* people living in
Sweden and Denmark (Bernardi, 2013)
I think that clothes are important for me. To have clothes that I am
comfortable with. Everywhere. When I do not sport, I feel comfortable
with the clothes I have, but when I exercise I don't know what kind of
clothes I am supposed to have because my body does not fit in the
clothes... in the manly clothes: it does not fill up in the right way... and I
cannot have the women clothes. That is difficult also in the training
situation. Which clothes am I supposed to have? And if I go into the
dressing room and I have this manly underwear, the binders and all this
kind of things, that is also difficult because people do not understand, I
think, what is about...
Liam, 25 years old

14. Accessibility to Physical Activity and Sport for
Trans* people living in EU
• Personal experiences
• Environment: safety, locker rooms and staff attitude
• Motivation
• Clothes
• “The goal list”

15. Accessibility to Physical Activity and Sport for
Trans* people living in EU
• I LIKED
• I WISH
• WHAT IF…

16. Accessibility to Physical Activity and Sport for
Trans* people living in EU
Thank you for taking part and see you soon.
natascia.bernardi@gmail.com