trans pride — words — hi, my name is erin

the power of ironman & idaho's true colors

Idaho is one of the leading states to enact anti-trans (women) legislation. Banning female trans kids from competing in women’s sports, denying trans people access to trans healthcare like hormone replacement therapy and surgeries, just to list a few.

Now that I’ve raced both an Ironman and a locally organized triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, I can see how the spectacle Ironman has over the host cities and not necessarily in a positive way. Ironman draws people from all over the world, bringing different cultures, ideals, etc… to the host locations that quickly overshadows and hides the true colors of this host cities/states culture, ideals, and political stance. I experienced it firsthand.

ironman, personal, trans pride, sportsErinAugust 25, 2022

first podium @ black diamond

I was also pretty confident that I was the only trans person there, and also not surprised either as there aren’t many of us in triathlon to begin with. I’m still proud representing my community in areas that might not be very friendly towards us. I never hide the fact that I’m trans at these races knowing full well that it has the potential of opening myself up to hate, judgement, questions, etc. I definitely encountered some of that at the race, but I’ll get into that in more detail later in the post.

words.