New UK Policies Affect Local Trans and Non-Binary Hockey Players

Names and identifying information in this article have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals involved. You can click here to support the petition reversing the Exclusionary Gender Participation Policy from Ice Hockey UK.

Until recently, hockey rinks in London, England had been a safe and welcoming space for trans and non-binary players like Charlotte and Lu. However, with the introduction of new policies and guidelines, that safety is being disrupted.

When Charlotte joined the Women’s National Ice Hockey League (WNIHL) almost two years ago, she was excited to find a space where she could re-enter athletics after a long absence during her transition. “Being accepted into the league and finding my place was a big thing in terms of validation,” she said when asked about her experience in hockey. “I’d stopped everything to do with sport and skating when I was 16...fast forward 8 years, I was done [transitioning] and felt ready to re-enter that space.”

For Lu, whose move to London was primarily driven by the desire to play hockey in an inclusive environment, the introduction of exclusionary policies is negatively impacting the athletic space they once considered home. “When I first came into playing hockey in London, I joined the team that I did because I knew that one of the captains was non-binary and that meant so much to me to already see someone who identifies the way I do,” Lu said.

Hockey, which traditionally attracts a narrow range of players, is not commonly an environment where trans and non-binary players feel accepted. However, hockey in London seemed to be the exception to that norm, drawing a large number of trans and non-binary players—more than you would statistically see on a roster anywhere. When new guidelines encouraging restrictive policy were released, the community and its allies responded in opposition by creating a petition which currently has over 1,300 signatures.

“At the end of the day, we are all just human, and we all just want to play hockey,” said Lu, honestly. 

The recently introduced Sex, Gender, and Participation Policy for Ice Hockey in the UK implies that trans players are dangerous and claims that fairness and inclusion cannot coexist. It also states that “Ice hockey is a Gender Affected Sport and that all forms of participation can be categorised as Meaningful Competition.” In this context, Meaningful Competition is being used to differentiate hockey from a non-competitive sport. The policy gives no further guidance on what makes a sport competitive versus non-competitive. 

“It all seems fishy,” commented Charlotte. Before releasing these new guidelines for participation, there was no formal communication from either Ice Hockey UK or the England Ice Hockey Association. In fact, the first contact players received was a consultation that requested their opinion on transgender participation, and which included exclusionary language. The results of this consultation have not been published. Ice Hockey UK released the Sex & Gender Participation Policy on March 7th, 2025 in an Instagram post which received mixed reviews from the public.

Charlotte explained that UK Sport, the national governing body, typically provides funding to sports organizations along with participation guidelines. With the shifting political climate internationally and nationally, the guidelines around gender have become more stringent and narrow, even going so far as to encourage organizations to restrict or prevent anyone who uses hormone therapy from participating. This would not only limit trans and non-binary players, but it may also exclude someone undergoing fertility treatment or other medical procedures that involve hormones.

This policy affects all hockey players, not just trans women. “We have to be able to stand up for each other,” said Lu. Players are in a dangerous position now where they may have to “prove” that they are a cis woman. 

“There will always be more allies than there are trans people,” Lu continued. “We need allies and family and friends now more than ever. At the end of the day, I want Ice Hockey UK and England Ice Hockey and all the other involved bodies to actually see this as an opportunity...to stick to their own values of fairness and inclusion and give everybody an opportunity to play hockey.”

Charlotte agreed, “Our identities are not a political statement...we just want to play hockey.”

You can click here to support the petition reversing the Exclusionary Gender Participation Policy from Ice Hockey UK.