CANMORE, Alta.— Biathlon Canada is proud to announce that with the unanimous approval of the Board of Directors, a new Gender Inclusion Policy has been adopted.
Supported by the work of Diversity & Inclusion specialist, Christina Hsu, this new policy outlines how the organization will create respectful and inclusive environments for participation that value the individual’s gender identity and gender expression.
In the development of this policy, Biathlon Canada engaged in focus groups with individuals who felt they may be directly impacted by this policy, including trans and non-binary community members. Ensuring that the insights and lived experiences of those impacted by this policy were heard was a priority and incorporating that into policy development, training and education was important.
“Biathlon Canada is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion amongst all athletes and ensuring that all participants have access to programming and facilities in which they feel comfortable and safe,” commented Biathlon Canada General Manager, Heather Ambery.
As such, this policy states that “
at both recreational and competitive levels under Biathlon Canada’s jurisdiction, an individual may participate in the gender category of their choosing and is congruent with how they authentically live outside of the sport.” Individuals will not be required to disclose their gender identity or history to the organization at any point.
In order to support the biathlon community in their understanding of the policy, an Information Document & FAQ has also been created. This document highlights the key points of the policy and explores how it can be applied in a more practical sense.
The full Gender Inclusion Policy along with the Information Document & FAQ can both be found on our website under the Policies section. This policy comes into effect immediately.
Biathlon Canada Gender Inclusion Policy
Biathlon Canada Gender Inclusion Policy Information Document & FAQ
NEW Gender Inclusion Webinar (September 28, 2022) - RecordingFor more information, please contact Heather Ambery, General Manager at
hambery@biathloncanada.ca 