Trans Athletes Belong
The Mid-Hudson Misfits (18+) and Mischiefs (9–17) are an inclusive, all-gender roller derby league where everyone is welcome: all genders, all bodies, all experience levels. This month, Phoenix Laxton, our Programs Coordinator and a proud member of our team, shared what that community has meant to them:
As a queer and trans athlete, I'm deeply concerned for the safety of my community following the Supreme Court's recent ruling. What people misunderstand is that sex isn't as black and white as just female and male; everyone has different hormone levels and physical attributes that can give them an advantage.
I'm a proud member of the Mid-Hudson Misfits Roller Derby as a transmasculine athlete. I love my team because I'm welcomed and appreciated, along with the other trans athletes on our roster. Roller derby as a whole is an incredibly inclusive sport, with most rulesets open to all genders, and there are trans athletes on many of the top teams in the country.
My team, and countless others, won't accept this ruling as the final word on our beloved sport. Whether you're an adult or a youth, everyone is welcome on the team.
I just attended RollerCon for the first time, a huge roller derby convention in Las Vegas. I met so many people and learned so many new skills, because as a trans person, I was welcome in that space. Roller derby has changed my life in an incredible way, giving me a place to release the frustrations I hold toward this administration. My mental health has improved significantly, and I've found a community that shares my values. Everyone is welcome in roller derby, and everyone is welcome in the Misfits.
As we always like to say: Your Pack Is Here.
Phoenix Laxton, our Programs Coordinator
Another Community Doing the Same Work: Transcenders
Phoenix's story is part of a bigger picture. Transcenders is a non-binary and transgender athletics team created to uplift, inspire, and unite our worldwide community. Through community-building, storytelling, and resource-sharing, Transcenders amplifies the voices of transgender and non-binary athletes, providing a space where they feel welcomed, heard, connected, and supported, while underscoring that they are more than these identities.
If you want to learn more about these two organizations, join their team, or support their mission, visit midhudsonmisfits.com and transcenders.team and follow them on social media at midhudsonmisfits and transcenders.team
Thank you to the Mid-Hudson Misfits Roller Derby and Transcenders for building spaces where trans and non-binary athletes can show up as their full selves. Your Pack Is Here, and so is ours.
