The Quidditch Community Expresses Its Support for the LGBTQIA+ Community
Just as US Quidditch supported transgender and non-binary people before in a series of tweets in December 2019, it has issued another statement of support in response to J.K. Rowling’s latest tweets about transgender individuals.
USQ is committed to supporting athletes of all genders. Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary people are non-binary. We stand with our trans and non-binary players, referees, snitches, volunteers, and fans.
— US Quadball (@usquadball) December 19, 2019
US Quidditch released its own statement:
Our stance remains the same as before: we stand with trans and gender nonconforming members of our community. Trans men are men, trans women are women, and non-binary people are non-binary. We denounce the recent hateful statements made by J.K. Rowling.
Muggle quidditch has always been a sport for all genders. The rule book of the International Quidditch Association (IQA) states, “All quidditch athletes have the right to define how they identify, and it is this stated gender that is recognized on [the] pitch.” There is also a rule that there can be a maximum of four players of the same gender on the pitch at one time. This is one of the reasons why quidditch is so attractive to LGBTQIA+ community members and why organizations such as USQ support them.
For June, which is Pride Month, USQ expressed its commitment to amplifying the stories of members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
It is paramount that we continue to uplift and amplify the voices of trans and gender nonconforming people in quidditch. This month, USQ will feature stories from members of the LGBTQIA+ community on our social media channels, with a focus on Black and non-Black people of color.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Bex Lowe (the manager of Team UK) is trying to start a new league in London for next season. Although it is still in development, it will be open to all female players, trans players, and non-binary players. Sessions will happen one Saturday every other month so that there would be four to five sessions in the season. Teams will be chosen by the management team, and every player will have a chance to coach or captain their team for one match.
You can also read more about MuggleNet’s commitment to the fandom.
