New Program Aims to 'Reform the Locker Room' for LGBTQ+ Youth Athletes

The Trevor Project and PUMA team up to launch an online program to educate coaches, parents, and students about inequities for LGBTQ+ youth athletes.

If you have a child who identifies as LGBTQ+, you might be extra cognizant of their mental health and wondering how to support them both in and out of school. Research shows that sports can boost morale, create a sense of community, and prevent suicidal ideation in teens.

It should come as no surprise that when kids are pushed out of sports because of their sexuality or gender identity, it has a negative impact on their mental and physical health. In the United States, the ACLU is tracking more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, some of which aim at excluding especially trans kids from youth sports.

To combat this troubling trend, The Trevor Project has partnered with sports and athletics expert PUMA to launch a free training course called #REFORMtheLockerRoom. It's aimed at coaches, educators, parents, and even students. We sat down with an educator from The Trevor Project and a child psychologist to talk about the impact this will have on youth sports.

Related: LGBTQ Youth Remain at High Risk for Mental Health Issues but Also Envision a More Inclusive Future

What is #REFORMtheLockerRoom?

The Trevor Project is on a mission to reduce suicide among LGBTQ+ identifying youth. When #REFORMtheLockerRoom was floated as a partnership with athletics leader PUMA, Nova Bright, Head of Internal Training at The Trevor Project said she had no idea the impact it would have. It's a free program aimed at teaching coaches, educators, and school administrators about the various inequities LGBTQ+ folk experience in sports.

"PUMA had been working on #REFORMtheLockerRoom already with BIPOC folks. The idea and concept for collaborating with The Trevor Project came about based on a need we perceived years ago," says Bright. "LGBTQ+ youth are excluded from team sports based on their identity, their gender assigned at birth, or just generally across the sports world. But we didn't know how bad it would get, especially for trans youth."

With the aforementioned anti-LGBTQ bills circulating various states' legislative systems right now, this makes #REFORMtheLockerRoom's release timely—and serendipitous.

"We realized that we needed to try and get ahead of this," continues Bright. She explains what The Trevor Project saw as a lack of education, rather than malice, was at the heart of excluding LGBTQ+ kids from sports. "Some of the best people in the world are teachers, coaches, and adults. We hope they can extend that passion for teaching to LGBTQ+ kids."

REFORMtheLockerRoom, which lives on a microsite through The Trevor Project, can be accessed asynchronously by anyone who wants to learn about LGBTQ+ exclusion from sports. This self-paced course includes resources and guides, as well as recommendations for where to go next for more information once the course is completed.

People who take the course can listen to real LGBTQ+ athletes on their experiences of exclusion, but also the joy that comes with playing sports. It provides solutions and steps for coaches and school leaders to take when they see anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment crop up in youth sports.

"We provided action steps for making safe spaces for LGBTQ+ kids and showing folks relatable scenarios. In the program, if someone chooses an option in one of these scenarios that isn't as safe for LGBTQ+ kids, we try to give them better ways to deal with issues," Bright explains.

These relatable scenarios run the gamut of issues, from the binary setup of locker rooms which force a kid to choose a gender, all the way through the social climate of sports teams.

"At The Trevor Project, we talk about 'suicidality prevention factors' a lot. We know sports can be an outlet. Sports can provide kids with endorphins, a team, a community, and better mental health. It goes past the physical," Bright says. 

Related: It's Your Duty to Support Your LGBTQ+ Child's Mental Health, Here's How

The Importance of Inclusive Sports for Kids

If you've ever had a good workout, you know that flush of endorphins at the end makes the struggle worth it. But did you know that sports can actually have a positive mental impact on kids as well?

Laura Erickson-Schroth, M.D., psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer of The Jed Foundation, weighs in.

"We know from research that physical activity is good for the brain. It boosts mental health and improves symptoms of depression and anxiety. In addition to the direct mental health benefits, sports can help young people to build community and a sense of belonging, to learn teamwork and leadership skills, and to navigate through and grow from mistakes," explains Dr. Erickson-Schroth.

In a climate that is increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ youth taking part in sports, #REFORMtheLockerRoom is a rallying cry for support. "We wanted to address the problem of exclusion at its root. Adults, not peers, make it hard for LGBTQ+ youth to take part in sports. And when peers do show discriminatory behavior, it's learned from those adults," says Bright.

Related: We Need to Stop Pressuring Kids to Be the Best at Their Sport

So it comes as no surprise that in order to change the narrative, it is deeply important that LGBTQ+ youth have equal access to sports.

"By banning trans and nonbinary young people from participating in sports, we take away an important source of community and connection, and deprive them of physical activity as well as lessons learned through sports about teamwork and perseverance," Dr. Erickson-Schroth adds.

The Trevor Project recently released a survey on LGBTQ+ mental health, where 85% of transgender and nonbinary young people said the recent debates around anti-LGBTQ+ bills have negatively impacted their mental health. In 2021, research showed a third of LGBTQ+ youth took part in sports.

Playing in youth sports extends far past the physical. Fostering a safe, inclusive environment with programs like #REFORMtheLockerRoom has a measurable impact on the happiness of young people.

Related: My Child Is Trans—How Can I Support Them Without Messing Up?

How to Foster Inclusion in Youth Sports

When we send our kids off to school in the morning, we worry that they'll be bullied or excluded from activities. Research has shown LGBTQ+ children are at a higher risk of bullying. It stands to reason that the adults in their lives need to lead the charge in making school and sports a more inclusive and safe environment.

Dr. Erickson-Schroth explains coaches have a valuable role to play in this challenging time for LGBTQ+ identifying kids. "Coaches set the tone for their teams, and by making it clear from the beginning that bullying and anti-LGBTQIA+ language will not be tolerated, they can provide a safe space for all of the young people on their teams," she says.

Laura Erickson-Schroth, M.D.

Coaches set the tone for their teams, and by making it clear from the beginning that bullying and anti-LGBTQIA+ language will not be tolerated, they can provide a safe space for all of the young people on their teams.

Parents can also play a role: research shows that familial acceptance protects against depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and suicide in LGBTQ+ youth. #REFORMtheLockerRoom provides resources and guides for everyone to help support LGBTQ+ kids in their lives.

It's also vital that we teach our cisgender and straight children to be good allies—but in order to do that Bright explains the people in charge have to have the right information. "We are targeting adults with #REFORMtheLockerRoom because adults are the ones doing the politicizing of LGBTQ+ youth," she says. "Kids just want to have fun and be part of something bigger than themselves."

Bright also is a parent of a teen in the LGBTQ+ community and says she worries about using kids as pawns in a political game. #REFORMtheLockerRoom is just one step forward in targeting bigotry and exclusion at its root.

But Bright also wants to be clear on one thing: #REFORMtheLockerRoom isn't just for coaches but for any adult with a child in sports. "They can use this program to advocate for their kids. This education is for everyone."

Related: Teen Transgender Athlete Helps Revise League Policy

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