In light of heinous laws like SB 180 in Kansas and SB 49 and SB 39 in Missouri, the Kansas City Roller Warriors (KCRW) want to make this clear: we unequivocally support the rights of transgender, intersex, and gender-expansive people to exist and flourish.

KCRW formed in 2004 and was one of the founding members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). We have been following this legislation closely, because we know the outcome impacts our adult and junior KCRW members. Needless to say, these dangerous efforts are deeply concerning as we scramble to figure out how to support and protect our players. 

KCRW, like WFTDA, started as a women’s organization dedicated to empowering female athletes in Kansas City and all over the world. As the organization grew, we actively worked as a global community to establish policies that ensure roller derby is a place for every type of athlete. We openly welcome skaters of all backgrounds and have competed alongside transgender, intersex, and gender expansive skaters for over a decade. This did not endanger any cisgender girls or women or rob them of opportunities. Instead, it challenged us to welcome new athletes into our sport and allowed us to embrace individuals who previously didn’t have a safe space within athletics. Their inclusion made us better.

Legislators and anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have created a false narrative surrounding our transgender, intersex, and non-binary peers. They tell us that their inclusion in sports, bathrooms, and other public spaces is a threat to cisgender women. They deny their right to receive life-saving, gender-affirming healthcare that is supported by dozens of major medical organizations. 

KCRW adamantly rejects these claims. We know that participation in sports helps trans youth and adults develop leadership skills, self-discipline, mental health, and community just like their cisgender peers. We know that banning transgender women from bathrooms and other public spaces does not make us safer and puts trans women in more danger. And we know that gender-affirming healthcare enriches and saves lives.

Although we cannot control the laws and policies of the states and cities we play in, KCRW is committed to doing everything within our power to build safe, inclusive, and joyful spaces for our transgender, intersex, and gender expansive players, officials, and fans. We stand in solidarity with the trans community and will continue fighting this legislation with our voices and our radical inclusivity. We will continue to build spaces where all people are included and celebrated.