Toronto rec soccer team calls on league to change gender inclusion policy [Video]

A recreational soccer team in Toronto says controversy surrounding its league’s gender policy, which temporarily excluded non-binary players from women’s teams, has sparked a bigger conversation about accessibility and support for LGBTQ+ athletes.

Evergreen FC co-captain Riley Yesno says her team, composed of female, LGBTQ+ and gender diverse members, has been playing in the women’s division of Stadium Sport Leagues since 2022.

But last month, the league sent Yesno’s co-captain an email saying any members of Evergreen FC who are not registered as “female” would only be permitted to play on a co-ed team.

In followup emails Yesno shared with The Canadian Press, the league said it had to enforce its “gender inclusive policy” because it received complaints from some players who said they didn’t “feel safe” playing against Evergreen FC. The league said in those emails that its policy is in line with other adult recreational sport leagues in …