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sports

Changing the Game: Trans Athletes and the Fight for Inclusion

A photo of Changing the Game.

A political war is being waged against transgender Americans, and young trans athletes are caught in the crossfire. Mack Beggs is one of four transgender athletes featured in Changing the Game, a documentary that profiles the lives of young trans athletes in an effort to raise awareness about the complexity surrounding the transphobic policies that transgender high school athletes are forced to navigate just to compete. “I think it’s many things at once,” Alex Schmider, associate director of transgender representation at…

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Talk Derby to Me: Meet Houston Roller Derby ‘Super Friend’ Jason Davila

A fan of Houston Roller Derby fan Jason Davila.

Ask Jason Davila if he’s a Houston Roller Derby (HRD) super fan, and he’ll respond “no.” “I don’t consider myself a super fan because all I think of when you say ‘fan’ is someone who just goes to games and cheers on their favorite team,” he says. “I would say I am more of a super friend of Houston Roller Derby. I think that is what differentiates me from everyone else. Not only do I attend every game ([with the…

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Talk Derby to Me: Meet Brawler Jammer Arrak-Kiss

A photo of HRD Brawler Arrak-Kiss.

“It’s the last jam of the 2017 championship...two minutes left, your HRD Brawlers and undefeated Psych Ward Sirens are neck and neck...get on your feet, Houston!” veteran Houston Roller Derby announcer Scarlet O’Hurtya yells out with anxious enthusiasm. Wild cheers from fans vibrate Revention Music Center. My ears are ringing, my legs are throbbing from jumping up and down, and my homemade poster is ripped at each side from my clenched fists. Brawler jammer Arrak-Kiss and Siren jammer Black Lung…

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From One South to Another: Houston Dash Player Talks Journey from South Africa to Texas

From South Africa to the U.S., soccer player Janine van Wyk now calls the Houston Dash home.

For Janine van Wyk, playing soccer—or football as it’s known in her home country of South Africa—required her to be a trailblazer. “There weren’t any girls’ teams or girls who even played soccer back then,” says van Wyk, one of the most recent additions to the Houston Dash’s team. “There were no ways for girls to participate in the sport.”…

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