Thoughts on rapier and gender inclusion (April 2022 edition)

Why me/why this?

me

I have been playing regularly in the SCA since mid-2017 (Modern years will be used throughout as I am talking about out-of-game considerations primarily.) I started using they/them pronouns at my mundane workplace, which was the last place I wasn’t out, in early 2019. I do not have the expectation that I will be gendered correctly at all times by all people but I do have the expectation that people I regularly spend time with will make an effort/hear my corrections/apologize and quickly correct themselves when mistakes happen. This expectation was not met by everyone I knew in SCA spaces until I moved from the East Kingdom to the Kingdom of the Outlands in mid-2021, for a variety of reasons ranging on a spectrum from people simply not knowing (probably my fault) to transphobia (not my fault or responsibility to fix).

this (rapier and inclusion)

Rapier was the first reason I came to the SCA. While it’s not the only reason I stay, it remains a very large part of my fun and involvement. in the online (Facebook) SCA spaces I am a member of, there has been a lot of discussion recently around “women in fighting” and as someone who is invariably misgendered as a woman, I am often included in these discussions whether it makes sense or not. I would like to be a strong ally to women who are helped by these conversations and to be honest I find it difficult to be the ally I want to be when I am being misgendered because the person involved thinks they are asking a woman about being a woman on the rapier field. It’s tiring to have to explain over and over that actually, I think it’s more nuanced. So I thought I would explain it in one place, in text, to have the conversation started on my terms instead of being thrown into it when I’m already prickly.

What I hope for you to get out of this post

Two main takeaways:

Gender is complicated; don’t assume but instead ask what you need to know, only when you need it
Trans bodies come in many kinds. This post will cover information on a few axes of difference and how they affect both cis and trans rapier fighters of a variety of genders

Part one: ask when needed, but don’t assume, and don’t pry when not needed

Basically what it says. More has been written better elsewhere about why to do this so I won’t spend too long. I will offer a few examples of how I have seen this go well in the SCA:

Being asked in public with other fighters, “Are you wearing anatomy-specific protection as required?”, during an armor inspection (rather than assuming what anatomy I have or asking what protection I need) (caveat here for new fighters; more on this in part two)
Heralds announcing: “Good gentles all, pray attend!”
Being pulled aside or asked in private, “what pronouns/title do I use for you?”
Minister of Lists sign-up sheet asking for preferred title to use on the field
Others sharing their pronouns in an introduction when I share mine

Part two: how differences in anatomy and socialization affect fighters of a variety of genders

Some examples of differences in socialization

Assumptions from event stewards scheduling tournaments around timing; e.g. that no fighters require a tournament to start and finish on clock time because none of them have babysitters, or that only women in their 30s-40s have childcare needs. (Clock time as opposed to “SCA time”.) How to handle this: Starting and ending on time helps many fighters plan their time effectively, not just those with hard stops for childcare.

Assumptions that new fighters who look like women had childhoods where they were discouraged from martial arts and rough play, but new fighters who look like men have experience and comfort with roughhousing. Fix: ask a fighter about their background, or explain several different common ways of experience and ask what resonates. For example, anyone might have a background involving rough play with siblings, or self-defense training, or dance training.

Tall people of any gender will use different tactics on the rapier field than short people of any gender. Some women are shorter than some men, but the reverse is also true. I think the SCA is pretty good at handling this nonjudgementally but I want to start with this anatomical example because, in my opinion, the following examples I will give should be treated the same way.

People who are currently estrogen-dominant will generally have a longer ramp-up time to their peak warmed-up effectiveness, and will be able to stay in that zone for longer once warmed up. It may be useful to do a couple laps running before a tournament (for example) if you are affected by this.

People who are currently estrogen-dominant may also suffer an “adrenaline crash” after the end of a fight, with symptoms involving crying even though they aren’t necessarily upset. When I say “estrogen-dominant” this includes cis women, most trans women, and some nonbinary people. You can’t tell if someone is estrogen-dominant just by looking, so the best advice here is to treat all fighters who appear to be in distress kindly - listen to what they say they need, and do what they ask you to do to help (give space, get them water, etc). This isn’t an issue requiring report to a marshal unless the person affected says it is (unlike issues with some kinds of injury).

People who went through their bone structure being formed as estrogen-dominant may have wider hips, this will affect several aspects of body mechanics, most notably the footwork that feels comfortable to them. (this affects cis women, most trans men particularly those in their mid-20s or older, some nonbinary people) Advice for instructors: don’t be rigid in what is acceptable, let every individual experiment and find what feels comfortable to them; explain what comfortable should feel like to avoid injury rather than what it should look like.

People who have spent a significant amount of time as estrogen-dominant during/after puberty as a teenager and haven’t had surgery otherwise may have a large enough chest to impact the arm/blade motions they can do in cross-body parries without crushing their chest (some cis women, some trans women, some trans men, some nonbinary people). Advice: Don’t train to crush your chest with a parry, find other ways of handling attacks that require this.

People who are currently testosterone-dominant (cis men, most trans men, some nonbinary people) may have an easier time building muscle and an easier time losing weight than those who are estrogen-dominant. This is highly individual anyway so best not to assume.

Some trans women will require more water and salt in order to remain healthy - spironolactone, an anti-androgen commonly prescribed in the US as a part of hormone replacement therapy, is also a potassium-sparing diuretic. Don’t make assumptions about whether someone is hydrating appropriately based on only what you can see; each individual knows their own body best.

Armoring differences and rigid protection

Right now, the SCA rapier rules state that rigid groin protection is required for anyone with a penis and testes. This is a positive step towards inclusion and I am glad that the change was made in the past few years to use an organ inventory rather than gender identity. I have the following nitpicks with implementation, however:

All new fighters should be told about armoring standards for all anatomies, regardless of what you think they need by looking. You don’t know what does or doesn’t apply to them, and it’s inappropriate to ask what their genitals are shaped like.
I wish these rules were more inclusive of the variety of trans bodies. Not everyone who has a penis also has testes (some trans women, some trans men, some nonbinary people); do people in this category still need rigid groin protection?

Right now, the SCA rapier rules do not require rigid chest protection. Many people with breasts choose to wear rigid chest protection, but not all.

No armor inspection should require a marshal checking rigidity of anatomy-specific protection. They should ask if you are compliant, and you should answer honestly that you are. You should never be touched during an armor inspection without the marshal explaining why and asking your permission first. You are not required to give permission (though if you don’t you may need to have someone else help inspect you before you can fight, if they can’t find a workaround allowing them to confirm you are safe some other way).

Conclusion

This list is hopefully a starting point rather than a complete set of instructions. Take what you find useful, and start a discussion on what the fighters at your practice might find helpful.