In today’s political climate, LGBTQ+ athletes, especially those who are transgender, are consistently under attack. The Sin City Classic (“Sin City”), billed as the largest LGBTQ+ sporting event, should aim to be a beacon of inclusivity and safety for LGBTQ+ athletes. Instead, rigid and outdated guidelines on player eligibility risk doing the exact opposite. 

Sin City continues to label our division as “Women,” which is a term that, in today’s diverse queer sports landscape, is not only outdated but actively exclusionary. While leagues nationwide have updated their bylaws to reflect gender diversity and expanded names to include “transgender and non-binary”, Sin City enforces a rigid binary that echoes trans-exclusionary rhetoric and attempts to enforce biological essentialism policing who is and who is not “a woman.” These rules marginalize a small yet vital group of LGBTQ+ athletes and denies them the right to compete.

In a meaningful shift toward inclusion over the last decade, many “women’s spaces” have broadened their definitions of who belongs. While non-binary players are not women, these spaces have consistently offered more acceptance, safety, and respect than traditionally cis-male-dominated environments. Yet, by enforcing binary-based participation rules, we are actively excluding LGBTQ+ athletes who simply want the right to compete.

We, the undersigned, demand that the Jake Mason and Sin City tournament team immediately change the "Women's" division to the "Women, Trans, and Non-Binary" division, and allow transgender and non-binary athletes to compete in this division. Regardless of presentation the division should include players who dually identify as non-binary and male, or trans men, who may feel unsafe playing a male centered place (eg. co-ed division).

By changing the name, Sin City can explicitly reject trans-exclusionary ideology and send the message that exclusionary, anti-trans language has no place in our league or community. It creates a clear, welcoming, and safe space for all individuals across the queer spectrum who are seeking a community-focused division.

By not changing the name, Sin City contributes to an environment where transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse athletes may feel unwelcome, questioned, or invalidated, compounded by the reality of the political landscape we live in today. This tournament must do better than merely tolerate trans and non-binary people; we must explicitly affirm and welcome them. 

An inclusive dodgeball tournament means taking a firm stance against all forms of prejudice, including transphobia. The time for vague inclusivity is over. We must use clear, affirming language to protect our most vulnerable players from the dangerous spread of trans-exclusionary sentiment.

Sign this petition to demonstrate your commitment to a truly safe, affirming, and trans-positive dodgeball tournament. Let's update the policies and loudly reject any language that attempts to divide the queer community.

This change is about using language that explicitly welcomes all gender identities and rejects transphobic attitudes within our division.