Windsor minor hockey embracing new course on gender identity sensitivity training
Mandatory training a result of human rights complaint against Hockey Canada
Windsor minor hockey officials are preparing to have new gender-identity and gender-expression training in place by the beginning of the upcoming season.
Minor hockey teams around the province are required to implement the courses after a human rights case that determined a transgender hockey player from Oshawa, Ont. was mistreated when forced to use a separate change room from the rest of his team.
Jesse Thompson filed the complaint against Hockey Canada and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association after his 2012-2013 season.
All parties agreed in 2014 to change dressing room policies and to educate personnel on transgender inclusion.
"The Ontario Hockey Federation is proud to be at the forefront of trans-inclusive sport and is glad to be working with Hockey Northwestern Ontario and Hockey Eastern Ontario through this process," said Tony Foresi, president of the Ontario Hockey Federation.
The mandatory course is offered online and consists of two modules. Officials with each team have until Oct. 1 to complete it.
Not far enough
Barrie MacDonald Jr. has coached many LGBT players over the years. As the Windsor Minor Hockey Association director of coaching, he said the course is a step in the right direction, but the education should not stop there.
He wants to see more follow up with the courses to ensure respect is shown for all players, even after the course is given.
"There's no (recertification)," MacDonald said. "There's no checking to see what's going on — and there's no re-education."
LGBT advocate and Run for Rocky co-founder Nancy Campagna says teaching about trans inclusion and gender identity is important in sports, especially for young boys.
She says there is much more information out there for parents when it comes to having children identify as LGBT. Not all parents are forcing their children to hide their identity, she explained.
"We have girls and boys who are identifying (as LGBT) as early as six years old," she said. "Many parents ... have the education that they can take this child and give them the support they need. Hockey has to be the same."