[SU & GSA] Fairness & Safety in Sport Policy: What it Means, What You Need to Know, and Where to Find Help

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[SU & GSA] Fairness & Safety in Sport Policy: What it Means, What You Need to Know, and Where to Find Help

[SU & GSA] Fairness & Safety in Sport Policy: What it Means, What You Need to Know, and Where to Find Help 150 150 admin

You may have seen headlines lately around the Government of Alberta’s recent introduction of Bill 9 and its use of the notwithstanding clause. This clause protects legislation that may violate Albertans’ Charter rights from being invalidated by Alberta’s courts. Laws that Bill 9 would protect include the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act and its associated Regulation, which came into force September 1, 2025.

These rules compelled certain organizations—including post-secondaries—to introduce eligibility rules on who can compete in women's sporting leagues. In order to compete, athletes must confirm in writing that their sex was recorded as female on their birth registration document (or get their parents to write in if they are aged 12-18). A birth registration document is not the same thing as a birth certificate: registrations are completed at the time of a person's birth and cannot be changed, unlike a certificate. Learn more about these documents here.

On the day the Act came into force, so did the University of Calgary’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Policy (FFSP). The university consulted the Students' Union (SU) and Graduate Students' Association (GSA) for feedback on a draft version, and while we’re pleased to share that the university adopted some of our amendments (incorporating stronger protections for all students), it did not adopt all of them. You’ll find more on which SU amendments were adopted in the FAQ below—though we know this work only continues, and we'll have more updates for you soon.

We’re bringing you this post to help you understand what the policy means, what it does, and what you can do if you need help navigating the policy. We will also help you identify where you can find appropriate sources of support.

Statement by the SU and GSA: The Policy, Fairness, and Safety

The stated aim of the FSSP is to enhance fairness and safety in women's sports. The SU and GSA, as the representatives of students from every background and demographic, have not seen evidence to suggest that exclusionary policies achieve this aim. Rather, there is evidence to suggest they achieve the opposite.

Trans-exclusionary policies don’t make sports fairer or safer for athletes recorded female at birth. Fewer women and girls participate in sports at all when trans-exclusionary guidelines are introduced, and guidelines that rely upon gender stereotypes discourage women and girls from playing. Trans-exclusionary policies can be abused by sore losers, or expose women who do not conform to stereotypical gender norms to harassment. As one peer-reviewed review identified, the most significant barriers to women and girls' participation in sports include insufficient funding and a lack of institutional support. These policies also introduce an additional barrier to participation for female athletes that male athletes do not face.

Trans-exclusionary policies don’t make sports fairer or safer for gender-diverse students. Trans and gender-diverse Canadians are more likely to experience violence or harassment, while also being likelier to experience poverty, homelessness and increased mental health challenges compared to cisgender individuals. Transphobia and systemic discrimination is the root cause of these barriers and negative impacts. Community-led supports including gender-affirming care and inclusive housing are among those that contribute to improved outcomes, highlighting the need to challenge systemic barriers so gender-diverse people receive adequate support.

The SU and GSA therefore condemn this Policy on the basis that there is ample evidence it will harm students of all backgrounds. To students who may be worried or impacted by the policy: remember that you are a member of our campus community. No policy can change that. There is a space for you, and we're glad you're here. We urge any students who need support to take advantage of the SU, GSA and campus services listed below, or to contact your elected student representatives for further assistance (see your SU Executives if you are an undergraduate, or your GSA executives if you are a graduate student). These services and resources are available for a reason, so please don't hesitate to use them.

We also encourage students with any questions or concerns that this post has not addressed to contact their students' association to set up a meeting. Your student leaders stand ready to help you.

What does the Policy mean in practice?

Students hoping to participate in Dinos Women's Varsity Sports and/or Competitive Club Sports must attest in writing that their birth registration record states they were recorded female at birth. Athletes can later be challenged by certain classes of people who believe they do not satisfy the FSSP's criteria. This is effectively an accusation that the athlete's attestation wasn't true. An athlete who faces a challenge may be asked by the University to provide their birth registration document, in a process outlined by the below map:

The FSSP does not apply to any SU or GSA sporting events or clubs. Students of all demographics can compete in these events.

Fairness & Safety in Sport Policy - Process Map @ UCalgary
An athlete's eligibility can be challenged by another athlete, head coach, or assistant coach from their team. They can also be challenged by participants or head coaches from a competitor team, or by an employee, contractor or volunteer whose duties concern the challenged athlete's league.

This challenge, and the rationale for raising the challenge, must be submitted in writing to the Director of Dinos Athletics or someone to whom the Director has delegated authority.
The Director, Dinos Athletics or their designate will have 10 days to decide whether they want to dismiss the challenge (on the basis there are no "reasonable grounds" to believe it is credible) or uphold it. A dismissal at this point ends the challenge, unless the person making the challenge requests a reconsideration by the Dean of Kinesiology.
Where a challenge is upheld, the athlete will be asked to provide their birth registration record. If their record says they were registered female at birth, they will be permanently eligible to compete in Women's Varsity Sports and Competitive Club Sports.
If a challenged athlete refuses to provide their record when asked, they will be ineligible to play until they comply. If their record says they were not registered female at birth, they will permanently ineligible.
Students and the FSSP: Anticipated Questions

On following the policy

If I'm challenged under the FSSP, how long will it take for a decision to be made?

When a challenge is submitted to the Director of Dinos Athletics, the Director or a delegate will have 10 business days to decide whether the challenge is credible or whether it should be dismissed. If they feel the challenge is credible, you will be asked to provide your birth registration record. It's at this point that you'll become aware a challenge was made.

If you choose to comply with the investigation, you will be asked to retrieve your birth registration record (see below on how the University must help you acquire this document). Once the Director or their delegate receives your record, they will have to issue a decision as soon as possible.

The Government of Alberta initially recommended that these steps should take 30 business days. The SU pushed to make the process as quick as possible, to minimize how distressing the experience might be for students.

If I'm asked to provide my birth registration record, do I have to stop competing?

No. You can continue to compete in the division of an affected sport while you are

  • a) waiting for your record, and/or
  • b) waiting for a decision by the University.
If I'm asked to provide my Alberta birth registration record, where do I order it and will I be expected to pay for it?

You can order your document from the Government of Alberta's registry services portal. You don't have to pay for it. At most institutions, you'd be expected to pay for it upfront and receive reimbursement from the Government of Alberta at a later date. The SU secured the right for students to request that the University covers their expenses in advance (paragraph 4.11 of the FSSP), but you can still choose to be reimbursed later if you prefer.

How do I acquire birth records if I wasn't born in Alberta, but elsewhere in Canada?

Ask the University to identify the most appropriate equivalent records kept by your province and territory of birth. If there is a charge for retrieving the record, the SU secured the right for students in this position to request that the University covers their expenses in advance (see how at paragraph 4.11 of the FSSP). You can still choose to be reimbursed later if you prefer.

How do I acquire birth records if I wasn't born in Alberta or Canada?

The SU ensured that you can ask the University to cover "reasonable fees" incurred by retrieving documents required "from jurisdictions outside of Canada" (FSSP paragraph 4.11). The University reserves the right to do so "at its sole discretion," but your GSA and SU both stand ready to assist you if the University declines. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need our help in arguing that the University should cover your expenses.

On what grounds can my eligibility be challenged?

The FSSP doesn't say. Although the SU suggested that challenges based only on subjective characteristics (such as personal appearance or behaviour deemed to be gender-nonconforming) should be dismissed outright, the University did not adopt these recommendations. The Policy provides that anyone raising a formal challenge can only do so on "reasonable grounds," but it will be up to the University to decide what grounds are reasonable and what evidence justifies a formal challenge. If you find yourself facing a challenge you believe to be unfair or in bad faith, don't hesitate to contact the SU or GSA, and see the question below as well.

If a challenge against me is dismissed, on what grounds can it be reconsidered?

If a challenge is dismissed by the Director of Dinos Athletics, the person who made the challenge can submit a written request to the Dean of Kinesiology, asking for the dismissal to be reconsidered. They would need to have new information that they believe justifies the challenge being looked at again. The Dean, or a delegate of the Dean, will have ten business days to decide if the challenge should indeed be reconsidered. If the Dean agrees, the process lain out by the policy (see the process map above) will be followed.

On accessing support related to the policy

What if someone submits a challenge against me for bad-faith reasons?

The FSSP provides that a challenge (or reconsideration request where a challenge is dismissed) made in bad faith can attract disciplinary measures under the University's policies and procedures. You can also enlist the help of the Director of Dinos Athletics or the Dean of Kinesiology and their offices (see "If a challenge is made in bad faith, do I have to seek a remedy by myself?").

Athletes who are challenged in bad faith can also directly utilize the following University policies for remedies:

Although the SU asked the University to enshrine specific sanctions and criteria on what makes a challenge 'bad faith' in the FSSP itself, the University declined to do so, stating that its existing policies should be good enough. We sincerely hope this is the case.

If you find yourself affected by a bad-faith challenge and feel you need more support that you're not receiving, or you just want someone in your corner, your SU or GSA are here for you. Do not hesitate to contact your SU Executives if you are an undergraduate, or your GSA executives if you are a graduate student.

If a challenge is made in bad faith, do I have to seek a remedy by myself?

The FSSP provides that the Director of Dinos Athletics and the Dean of Kinesiology, as well as their delegates, should be vigilant for challenges submitted in bad faith (paragraphs 4.24-4.26). In the event that happens, they should make a complaint against the person who submitted the challenge and seek for action to be taken against them "under the appropriate University policies, procedures, collective agreements or law." Additionally, if a challenge is made in bad faith by a participant or a head coach of an Alberta team that competes against the affected athlete, the Director or Dean should also forward a complaint on your behalf to the coach.

If you need help finding a solution, you can therefore contact these offices to request that they act under the FSSP on your behalf. Find out how to contact the Dean of Kinesiology here, or the Dinos Director here.

Where else can I turn to for help?

If you are affected by the FSSP and you're not sure where to start, your SU and GSA will provide support, or point you to resources you may need. Please don't feel like you need to go through this alone. You can also find more resources later in this post.

On-campus resources include...
Off-campus resources include...
  • If you are unsafe and need help immediately, call 911 to reach Calgary Police Service.
  • If you are being harassed due to a protected characteristic (including without being limited to your sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression), find out how to contact the Hate Crime Prevention Team of Calgary Police Service through this link.
  • Find 2SLGBTQIA+ resources recommended by Alberta Health.
  • Find 2SLGBTQIA+ resources recommended by the Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta.
Resources
Full List: Resources On- and Off-Campus

Unless explicitly stated, the SU and GSA have no control over resources and services available outside of the SU and GSA, nor any control over third-party websites. We provide them below for the purposes of aggregation and convenience. Make sure to contact organizations to ensure information is up-to-date.

On-campus resources

Find your advocates
  • Undergraduate students can contact their SU Executives and graduate students can contact their GSA executives for help, resources, and guidance.
  • Graduate students can also contact the GSA's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Accessibility (EDIA) Committee and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance Subcommittee (GSA²).
  • If you are being harassed or experiencing discrimination in the campus community, the University's Student Conduct Office can help.
  • Find the contact information for the University's Sexual and Gender Based Violence Prevention and Support Office here.
  • Low-income Calgarians can access low-cost legal advice through Student Legal Assistance.
Get help with the Policy
Find a safe space
Safety
Wellbeing resources
  • Need help with mental health or peer support services? The SU Wellness Centre is here for you, no matter whether you're a graduate or undergraduate.
  • Discover more of the mental health services that are on campus or accessible to students.
  • Reach out to the the Faith & Spirituality Centre for cultural and religious support.
  • The Writing Symbols Lodge supports the rich diversity of Indigenous learners, their communities, and cultural traditions.

Off-campus resources

Safety
  • If you are unsafe and need help immediately, call 911 to reach Calgary Police Service.
  • If you are being harassed due to a protected characteristic (including without being limited to your sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression), find out how to contact the Hate Crime Prevention Team of Calgary Police Service through this link.
Wellbeing, advocacy, and resources
Community supports
  • Get involved with 2SLGBTQIA+ support groups through the End of the Rainbow Foundation in Calgary.
  • SORCe Calgary is multi-agency hub that connects people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to relevant services, including 2SLGBTQIA+-focused housing supports.
  • Find resources and services offered through The Alex.
  • Calgary Outlink is a community-based charity that provides providing support, education, outreach, and referrals for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Calgary.
[SU & GSA] Fairness & Safety in Sport Policy: What it Means, What You Need to Know, and Where to Find Help
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