November Project is a community where everyone is invited to #JustShowUp and Come As You Are – something we value so much, it’s our first Community Agreement. Today, on International Transgender Day of Visibility, we are excited to celebrate some of our transgender Co-leaders and community members.
Adam (they/them), a community member who chooses to #JustShowUp at NP DC shares how coming to NP has helped them form a healthy relationship with movement and running, and how that makes Adam feel the most like themself.
- Name
Adam Beardsley
- Pronouns
They/Them/Theirs
- NP Home City
Washington, DC
- Have you #traverbaled to any other NP cities?
Philadelphia & Boston
- What words do you use to describe your full identity/all your identities?
Non-binary, Queer
- Who are some of the transgender athletes in the world of running/sport that you look up to?
Nikki Hiltz, Chris Mosier, all of the trans athletes I’ve met and run with at NP
- When did you first #JustShowUp to NP? How did you come across NP? What is it that you were looking for in a fitness group? How did NP provide that? What was an “extra” that NP has that you found value in?
I started at NP in March 2018 after meeting an NP member at a DC Jewish life event and talking to her about running and her suggesting I check out November Project. I was looking for a running group that was friendly and would allow me to decide what I wanted to train for and support me in that. I found a great group of people who did just that, a friendly, welcoming group that would support me in whatever races or runs I was training for. The “extra” I found was the community and everything that NP has offered outside of the workouts, including groups for track workouts and long runs and social events.
- What apprehensions did you have as you considered coming for the first time? What was your first impression? Why did you keep showing up?
I was apprehensive about having to get up before 6 am to get to the workouts. My first workout was a Friday morning workout and I immediately felt welcomed. I kept showing up because of the regularity of workouts and the effort that everyone,leaders and members, made to include me from the jump.
- What does it mean to you to be transgender? What does it mean to your community? What does it mean to our global community?
Being transgender has been acknowledging and embracing the fact that I have never
really felt connected to my assigned gender/the gender I was raised with, allowing me to live in the way that feels most authentic to me. I feel like that is a broad experience that most of the other trans people I know share.
- How has your NP community made you feel affirmed in your identity? What more could they do to make you feel affirmed in your identity?
I have been affirmed by being treated basically the same as I was before. I don’t feel like I have changed all that much, the way I describe myself has changed. I think the NP community could be better with asking for pronouns and making a point to use people’s pronouns. While many of us do have our pronouns displayed on the NPDC discord, reinforcing that during workouts consistently would go a long way.
- How does being trans influence your movement/running? Did you transition while you were coming to NP? If so, what was that like?
I have a healthier relationship with my running and working out. Embracing being non-binary has enabled me to both listen to my body more and has relieved some of the pressure I put on my running performance. I did come out while coming to NP, and I came out relatively slowly, in part because of COVID. I appreciated having some room to come out to a small group of people before coming out/being out more broadly. I never doubted that I would be accepted by the NP community, but it was still helpful knowing I had at least a few friends who had my back.
- Do you have any advice for cisgender NP members on creating a welcoming environment for transgender NP members? What is something that an ally has done to make you feel included and welcomed that has stuck with you?
Pay attention to the small things. A lot of us, for a variety of reasons, are not very vocal about being trans, but are still clear about ways we can be affirmed. Look at the pronouns someone uses on social media/discord/emails, pay attention to how people refer to themselves and how the people close to them refer to them and talk about them. Also, if you hear someone being misgendered, correct it. Many of the experiences that have made me feel very valued and welcomed by cis allies is when they correct someone before I need to. It’s a small action that has felt really big for me.
- The state of the country is…oof when it comes to legislation on transgender citizens. How can cisgender allies show up for you outside of workouts to make you feel supported and safe?
Being informed about what is going on, especially in the city and/or state they live in. Knowing what is going on will help cisgender allies know what is happening to the rights and safety of their trans friends and can inform what action can be taken. And when deciding to take action, find a few things they can reasonably commit to. Finding one or two things one can sustainably commit to, like writing to representatives or donating to local trans organizations or educating their friends and families about trans rights, is very powerful and impactful, even when we aren’t in the news.
- How do you celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility? How can others celebrate you or celebrate with you this day? How can we celebrate you all year long?
I think being joyful, especially in the face of attacks on transgender rights, is very powerful and I usually celebrate by uplifting and celebrating the joy of the transgender community. While it is important to focus on the different laws being passed targeting transgender people, I would love to have a day where most of what I see about transgender people is joyful. And throughout the year, seeing our joy uplifted gives me a lot of energy and feels just as important as bringing attention to laws targeting us.
- What else do you want people reading this to know?
Transgender people belong in sports. We should not have to minimize parts of ourselves or change who we are to participate. I think NP can do a lot to push back on laws and rules from athletic associations that have been targeting trans athletes recently. NP is stronger for including and celebrating trans people and can be proof that we belong just like our cis friends.
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