The Joyful Movement: Transforming the relationship between movement and Transgender and Non-Binary Communities

Movement, exercise, and sport are all important protective factors that connect young people to their peers and increase their confidence and self-esteem. The earlier in life we can establish a relationship with movement and incorporate it into our daily life, the more likely we are to maintain it as we get older. There are lots of cool examples internationally of how movement has been used as both a prevention and treatment strategy for reducing drug and alcohol harm.

Community Action on Youth and Drugs (CAYAD) have been exploring why Transgender and Non-Binary youth in Aotearoa have low rates of participation in movement initiatives over the last few years. There is very little data currently available about this community, the best resource is Counting Ourselves, a community led piece of research on the health and wellbeing of Transgender people living in Aotearoa. Counting Ourselves tells us that only one in six transgender people move every day, and gyms and sports facilities are places where they most fear discrimination. So, we set out to explore what might be done.

The team recruited eight Transgender and Non-Binary youth to be co-researchers. The group were from across Tāmaki Makaurau and were a mix of ages between 16 and 24. We outreached via a temporary web page and social media tiles on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. We wanted the experience to be an employment opportunity for this group that would help them to grow their skills and understanding of what to expect in the workplace. We focused on building the group’s connection and rapport with one another, their understanding of community action and collective action approaches, and their confidence in outreach to their peers. When they completed the project, CAYAD wrote a letter of recommendation for each young person that they could use when applying for future opportunities.

The Co-Researchers spoke to over 250 Rainbow identified young people about their experiences accessing movement and exercise. They also spoke to exercise industry professionals, health care workers, and others who were interested in this issue too. They used a range of methodologies to collect information, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Once we had captured the data we needed, we invited a group of intergenerational Rainbow people to come together and analyse the findings. Together they grouped the data into key themes, and CAYAD documented their findings and published this report.  

The young people we spoke described deep feelings of judgement that came from accessing fitness environments that saw movement as a tool to punish or change their body in pursuit of ‘perfection’. They spoke about the role of Transphobic media articles that made them feel alienated from sports and spoke of how hard it was to find professionals who understood their needs. They spoke of wanting to develop a relationship with movement – but a different kind to what’s currently prioritised. They dream of movement that; builds community, celebrates their identity; and meets them where they are.

Just recently the team have entered the next phase and have established a community organisation called The Joyful Movement, led by a group of Transgender and Non-Binary people pooling their professional expertise from across different sectors. Some of the young people from the initial co-researcher group now sit on the board of advisors. They are working to design interventions that challenge the systemic issues holding the problems we’ve identified in place. In the short term, they are focused on establishing a voice of leadership for Transgender people within the exercise and sport industries, and fostering more collaboration between organisations who share the same goals. The group are collaborating to design Aotearoa’s first best practice approach to safely prescribing movement to Rainbow communities. Recently the team have received funding to begin a pilot alongside the Personal Training industry to test and scale their work.

Everyone deserves the benefits of enjoying a healthy relationship with movement! The team are excited to see the power of collaboration and community leadership contribute to sustainable progress and systemic change in the years to come.

Click here to see The Joyful Movement report.