In September 2020, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion released a report highlighting the benefits of youth sports, including lower rates of anxiety and depression, reduced stress, better bone health, decreased risk of cancer and diabetes, and a lower likelihood of suicide among young people.

Any parent would find these outcomes appealing, but for parents of transgender children—who face higher risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts (especially now, as the U.S. government pushes to ban gender-affirming care for minors)—the social and emotional benefits of activities like a recreational swim class or cheering them on at a school soccer game may be even more compelling.

However, in a February executive order praised by prominent anti-trans figures like Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Riley Gaines, former President Donald Trump sought to ban transgender girls from participating in women’s sports. Even though very few openly trans athletes compete in the NCAA, the order has already had a chilling effect on trans kids and their families nationwide.

“For transgender young people who just want to play sports with their friends and enjoy the same opportunities as their peers, these attacks are very real,” says Chase Strangio, an ACLU attorney and trans rights advocate. “Trans youth have faced years of relentless demonization and political attacks, even though they’re simply trying to go to school and participate in activities like any other kid.”

Hazel Heinzer’s two children, 11-year-old Dylan and nine-year-old Sierra, are both nonbinary and currently part of a youth rock climbing team in Arizona. Though neither competes—they didn’t want to register under a binary gender with USA Climbing—Heinzer says they’ve been fortunate to have coaches and teammates who fully support them.

In a recent email to her representatives, Heinzer, a former University of Arizona diver, wrote: “Our kids prove that when trans children are allowed to be themselves—loved and accepted for who they are—they thrive, just like any other child.”

Research suggests that trans kids’ involvement in sports not only improves mental and physical health but can also lead to better academic performance. For many parents, though, the reasoning is simpler. James enrolled his trans daughter in a recreational sports league just to give her “something to do and a way to stay active in our cold climate.”

Jesse, whose teenage trans daughter plays rec-league basketball, constantly worries about her being exposed to the current wave of anti-trans rhetoric. While her experience on the team has been positive, he’s troubled by how the public vilification of trans athletes might affect her. “The most upsetting part, beyond the risk of her losing something she loves, is how cruel and false this narrative is,” he says. “It’s designed to make people believe my child is somehow a problem.”

While many advocates argue that trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming youth are no different from their cisgender peers, James wants his trans daughter to see her identity as something to celebrate, not just accept. “As a trans man who grew up playing women’s sports—where I made lifelong friends and even met my wife—I think…” [The text cuts off here, but the intended message is about the importance of inclusion and pride in one’s identity.]”Moderate liberals are too hesitant to admit that women’s sports have always been deeply connected to queer culture, and that transgender kids are a natural part of that vibrant community,” James says. “I don’t want my daughter to play sports just to fit in—I want her to have that space because she’s queer, and I want her to have the same gateway into queer life that I was fortunate enough to experience.”