“Find people that speak your language”
BY AMY CHAPPEL, IMAGE BY @STEPHANIEDREAMSPHOTOGRAPHY, IMAGE LOCATION THE FITNESS BAR
“I was inspired to become a PT because… there’s just no queer representation,” explains Liz Ridgway. As England’s first openly trans femme personal trainer and gender-affirming fitness coach, she has smashed barriers and increased diversity in fitness spaces.
“I was inspired to become a PT because I’d worked in gyms and I’ve hung around in gyms for quite a long time, and there’s just no queer representation.” She wanted to shift the level of inclusion in fitness spaces and be a presence that gives trans, non-binary and queer people “a sense that there’s somebody that understands their journey.”
When asked what motivates her, Liz emphasises that she “loves working with people and helping people gain confidence” in the gym by creating inclusive spaces. Liz lights up when she talks about her clients overcoming discomfort to utilise machines and areas of the gym they previously avoided. “That fills my heart with joy,” she says, because it means they will reap “psychological, physiological and mental health benefits.”
Liz feels so committed to making fitness activities accessible for the trans community because the average trans experience is one of “feeling isolated, lonely and not included.” This is why organisations like Trans Can Sport and Not A Phase offering tailored programs toward the trans and non-binary community are so vital. “We don’t have to explain ourselves in those spaces,” Liz states. “It removes a whole lot of stuff that we’re constantly having to process.”
In the face of recent efforts in the UK to restrict trans participation in sports, Liz focuses on creativity and community as solutions. As examples, she points to groups like the TRUK trans football team in the UK and Gender Goals in Glasgow that have formed their own teams and leagues when faced with barriers to inclusion. “Let’s create our own space,” is Liz’s rallying cry of encouragement even amidst restrictions. She adds that “you never know where your team, your sport, your activity might end up” when marginalised folks come together in this way.
She explains that when she moved to Brighton in 2017 and wanted to play Australian Rules football, there was no women’s team – only a men’s team that she could train with. Liz recounts, “Only two other women were there” So they suggested, “Why don’t we start our own football team?” As a result, she helped launch a women’s Aussie Rules squad. Today, that Sussex Swans team has 35 women who compete nationally.
As co-founder of L With The T, Liz helped catalyse a pivotal movement for “lesbian visibility and solidarity” with trans people. L With The T began organically in 2018 after an anti-trans group blocked the start of the London Pride parade, carrying hurtful signs to exclude trans women from LGBTQIA spaces. This was a visually painful moment for trans attendees and allies, seeming to imply Pride itself supported such transphobic ideology.
In response, lesbians in Brighton sprang into action that very day to counter the dangerous and divisive rhetoric. The community began posting social media videos stating “You don’t erase me” – declaring their support for trans rights as fellow members of the community. These clips showing allyship went viral under the hashtag #LWithTheT. L With The T provided trans people comfort and support during a divisive time through lesbian solidarity.
A true leader in LGBTQIA advocacy, Liz has spearheaded countless firsts – from becoming England’s first openly trans femme personal trainer to helping launch new queer sports teams. She even consulted with fitness giants like The Gym Group to shape their trans inclusion policies. Liz wants to keep “flying the flag” and inspire more trans and non-binary people to engage in physical activity. She hopes to facilitate more open conversations around trans inclusion in sports from a trans perspective. Her aim is to open up grassroots fitness activities and elite competition alike for trans people to have access and enjoy the various benefits of sport.
Liz calls on trans athletes and fitness hopefuls to not allow the “negative misinformation” about participation bans to stop them from pursuing what they love. “Find people that speak your language” in fitness, she says, so you can tune out the “small bunch of very uneducated, bigoted people.”
Liz Ridgway continues to break down barriers through her personal training catering specifically to the queer community. Her own journey demonstrates the power of community and creativity in the face of marginalisation. Liz lights the way for others with her message: seek out those who speak your language, create your own space, and let your participation flourish.
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