Trans Athletes Belong Here: The Meaning Behind the Shirt
Part of our guide: LGBTQ Rights and Pride: What the Fight Is Now, and What People Wear
"Trans Athletes Belong Here" is a welcome: it tells transgender kids and adults that they have a place on the team, in the gym and in the stands. It is one of the best-selling designs at Care & Resist, and it comes as a tee, a hoodie and a crewneck sweatshirt.
What it means
More than half the states have passed laws restricting transgender students from school sports, according to the Movement Advancement Project, and the debate is often carried on as if no actual children were listening. They are. For most kids, sports are where friends are made and where a school day becomes bearable.
The word doing the work is "here." It is not an argument about policy. It is said by a person standing in a specific place, a field, a pool deck, a gym, to the kid who is wondering whether to show up.
Who wears it
- Parents and families of trans kids, at games and at school board meetings.
- Coaches, PE teachers and athletic trainers.
- Teammates and student athletes, trans and not.
- Trans athletes themselves, at every level from rec league to masters.
When people wear it
Game days, meets and practices. School board and statehouse hearings when a sports bill is on the agenda. Pride events, and Trans Day of Visibility on March 31.
The design
Lowercase lettering in a soft retro serif, each letter a different color of a muted rainbow, with a few small sparkles. Three lines, friendly on purpose: it is meant to be read by a nervous kid from across a gym. It was written and lettered by a person, like every Care & Resist design, and it is printed to order in the USA.
The tee comes in eight garment colors, from Ivory and White to Black and Graphite, with softer shades such as Blossom, Banana, Bay and Chambray in between. The hoodie and the sweatshirt come in Black, White, Sand and Sport Grey. All three are unisex with a relaxed cut and run true to size; see the size and fit guide.
Designs people wear with it
The same welcome, said other ways.
Buying for a group? Group orders of existing designs go on one custom listing so everyone's sizes and colors ship together; see group and bulk orders. See our explainer on LGBTQ rights and Pride and Pride outfit ideas that say something.
Questions people ask
What does "Trans Athletes Belong Here" mean?
It means transgender people are welcome in sports, on this team and in this place. It is a statement of welcome aimed at trans kids and adults who are told otherwise.
Can allies wear it?
Yes. It is most often worn by allies: parents, coaches, teachers and teammates. It is a message said to trans athletes as much as by them.
Is it appropriate for a school or team event?
It contains no profanity and names no person or law. Whether it fits a particular event depends on that school or league's rules.
Does it come as a hoodie or sweatshirt?
Yes. The same design is available as a tee, a hoodie and a crewneck sweatshirt, and each product page links to the other two.
Can I order it for a group?
Yes. Pick the garment, collect sizes and colors, and we put the whole group on one custom listing that ships together; see group and bulk orders.