Travers (they/them/their)

Dr. Travers is a Professor of Sociology at Simon Fraser University. Their recent book, The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) Are Creating a Gender Revolution, situates trans kids in Canada and the US, white settler nations characterized by significant social inequality. In addition to a central research focus on transgender children and youth, Dr. Travers has published extensively on the relationship between sport and social justice, with particular emphasis on the inclusion and exclusion of women, queer and trans people of all ages. A current research program in this field focuses on gender equity in youth baseball. Travers is also the leader of an interdisciplinary research team examining electric micro-mobilities (electric scooters/skateboards/unicycles/bikes) from a mobility justice perspective.  

PhD (Sociology), University of Oregon
MA (Sociology), University of British Columbia
BA Hons. (Political Science), Simon Fraser University

Social theory (classical, feminist, queer and trans/gender); sociology of sport; children and gender justice; social issues and movements; gender and technology.

Books

• The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution, New York University Press, 2018.
• Transgender Athletes in Competitive Sports, Anderson, E. and A. Travers (editors), London and New York: Routledge, 2017
• Writing the Public in Cyberspace: Redefining Inclusion on the Net, Garland Publishing, Inc. New York, 2000. ISBN:0815332653

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• 2023    Travers, Scott, N., Reed, K. J., Hall, P., Winters, M., Kwan, G., & Park, K. Moral Panic and Electric Micromobilities: Seeking Space for Mobility Justice. Sociological Perspectives.
• 2016    Travers, A. and M. Shearman, “The Sochi Olympics, celebration capitalism and homonationalist pride,” Journal of Sport & Social Issues, online Dec 31, pp. 42-69.
• 2015    Manning, Kimberley Ens; Cindy Holmes, Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Julia Temple Newhook, Ann Travers. “Fighting for Trans* Kids: Academic Parent Activism in the 21^st Century,” Studies in Social Justice Journal, Vol. 1(9), 118-135.
• 2013    Travers, A. “Thinking the unthinkable: Imagining an ‘un-American,’ Girl-friendly, Women- and Trans-Inclusive Alternative for Baseball,” Journal of Sport & Social Issue, Vol 37(1), pp. 78-96.
• 2013    Travers, A. “Transformative Sporting Visions,” Journal of Sport & Social Issue, Vol 37(1), pp. 3-7.
• 2011    Travers, A. “Women’s Ski Jumping, the 2010 Olympic Games and the Deafening Silences of Sex Segregation, Whiteness and Wealth,” in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues,Vol. 35, No. 2, May, pp. 126-145.
• 2010    Travers, A. and J. Deri. “Transgender Inclusion and the Changing Face of Lesbian Softball Leagues,” International Review for the Sociology of Sport. Volume 46, No. 4, December, pp. 488-507.
• 2009    Travers, A. “Jackie Robinson’s Legacy and Women “Cross-over Athletes”: A Comparison of New York Times’ Coverage,” Open Sociology Journal, Volume 2, pp.30-41 (12). http://www.bentham.org/open/tosocij/openaccess2.htm
• 2008    Travers, A.  “The Sport Nexus and Gender Injustice,” in Studies in Social Justice Journal.  Volume 2, Issue 1, pp. 79-101.
• 2006    Travers, A.  “Queering Sport:  Lesbian Softball Leagues and the Transgender Challenge” in International Review for the Sociology of Sport.  Volume 41, Number 3-4, September/December, pp. 431-446.

Book Chapters

• 2016    Travers, A. “Transgender and Gender nonconforming kids and the binary requirements of sport participation in North America,” Child’s play: sport in kids’ worlds. Messner, M. and M. Musto, eds. New Brunswick, New Jersey and London: Rutgers University Press.
• 2014    Travers, A. “Transformative Gender Justice as a framework for normalizing gender variance among children and youth,” In Meyer, E. & Pullen-Sansfaçon, A. (eds.) Supporting transgender and gender creative youth: Schools, families, and communities in action. Peter Lang: New York, 54-68.

Editing

• 2013    Guest Editor, Special Issue on Transformative Visions of Sport, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, November.

• Travers wins 2021 competition for a two-year Seed Grant research proposal entitled"Gender+ Equity in Youth Baseball," from the Canadian Gender+ Equity in Sport Research Hub (E-Alliance).
• 2019  Winner in the category of Social Sciences Anthropology, Criminology, and Sociology in The Association of American Publishers PROSE for their book The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution.
• 2018 One of the recipients of the 2018 Excellence in Teaching Awards at Simon Fraser University.  

• An Anti-Trans Policy Tried to Keep Rock Climbers Out of the Game. Here’s How They Fought Back (and Won), Cosmopolitan, by Sara Youngblood Gregory, March 27, 2024
• New survey reveals the stark reality for B.C's nonbinary youth. Politics is making it worse, Vancouver Sun, by Lori Culbert and Nathan Griffiths. Mar 11, 2024
• Mobilizing Fear and Misinformation: Anti-SOGI and ‘Parent's Rights’ Movements, SFU Public Square, Feb 7, 2024
• SFU panel aims to counter misinformation and give a more accurate perspective on SOGI, THE SOURCE NEWSPAPER, by Prisca Tang, Feb 6, 2024
• Alberta transgender female sport policy raises questions, Global News, by Slav Kornik, Feb 2, 2024 (starting at 1:16)
• BC United leader maintains schools should be transparent with parents about what's taught in class, City News, Sept 21, 2023. By Martin MacMahon and Hana Mae Nassar.
• Posted Sep 21, 2023Country-wide protests around gender identity education in schools, CBC: BC Today with Michelle Eliot, Sept 20, 2023 (starting at minute 16)
• Cyclists flag concerns about crowded bike lanes as popularity of electric micromobility vehicles grows.  CTV News, by Tahmina Aziz, July 11, 2023.
• Manitoba’s rural communities continue fight for LGBTTQ+ rights. The Point of Pride, by Graham McDonald, July 8, 2023.
• The bike lanes in B.C. are getting crowded as more ‘micro-mobility vehicles’ hit the road. The Globe and Mail, by Frances Bula. July 10, 2023
• Telus Talks with Tamara Taggart. How to support trans kids. 
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RDupACIW1E June 27, 2023.
• Rising hate casts pall over Pride, spotlights need for protest along with celebration. The Globe and Mail, by Nicole Thompson, June 15, 2023.
• 'It shook her to the core': Kelowna mom says child harassed at track meet.' City News, by Kier Junos and Hana Mae Nassar.
  https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/06/13/kelowna-transphobia-school-track-meet/
  Also featured in the New York Times, Man Who Questioned 9-Year-Old Athlete’s Gender Spurs Outrage, June 14, 2023.
• Interview with Dave Zirin on the Edge of Sports, TV show on The Real News Network, June 7, 2023. https://youtu.be/jeeAgCN4hhs?t=2711
• BC Liberals’ gender equity critic under fire for transphobic Twitter act... https://youtu.be/yJKCZ-IpLX4 in CityNews Jan 5, 2023.
• BC Liberal’s gender equity critic called out for promoting transphobic content on Twitter - Today In BC Jan 4, 2023.
• BC MLA scorned for anti-trans Twitter activity | CityNews Vancouver. Jan 4, 2023.
• Simon Little & Emad Agahi (2022). Vancouver’s new mayor takes heat over planned trip to Qatar World Cup, Global News, November 18. https://globalnews.ca/news/9290453/vancouver-new-mayor-trip-qatar-world-cup/
•  Hyslop, Katie. Across BC, Right-Wing Candidates Are Bashing How Schools Teach. The Tyee. https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/10/10/Across-BC-Right-Wing-Candidates-Bashing-School-Teachings/
• "Protections for Trans Athletes in Title IX Proposal Still Unknown," Insider Higher Ed, July 5 2022
•  “Canada voted to ban transgender swimmers from women’s events,” Globe and Mail, June 21, 2022
• Vancouver Sun, "Census 2021: 20,000 adults in BC identified as trans or non-binary" Nathan Griffiths. April 27, 2022
• An interview with Josh Moody of Inside Higher Ed. A Trans Swimmer Roils Women's Sports. Jan 27, 2022
• Ryan with iHeart Radio speaks with Dr Travers on 'Improving gender designation process for people in BC" Jan 2022
• CityNews, Interview by CityNews 1130 on the #LetHerRun campaign calls to end discrimination against female athletes. Oct 15, 2020
• The Star Vancouver, Trio of recent wins making transphobia less acceptable, say experts, by Tessa Vikander, Fri., March 29, 2019
• The Georgia Straight, SFU professor and author presents talk about how to support trans children, by Craig Takeuchi on March 14, 2019
• SFU President's Faculty Lecture Series, Trangender Kids at the Crossroads: Impacts of Colonialism, Racism, and Poverty, Thursday, March 14, 2019
• Ann Travers participated in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies traveling scholars program in February 2019 and went to Terrace to do a public lecture and two community meetings about their research with trans kids. Here's a link to a print story https://www.terracestandard.com/home/professor-advocates-for-change-in-conversation-for-transgender-youth/
• The Tyee, Documenting the Trans Generation: Kids, Families and the Fight for Rights. A Q&A with transgender professor and author Ann Travers on their new book about growing up trans. By Katie Hyslop, July 23, 2018.
• The Globe and Mail, For trans people of all ages, sex segregation of sport and physical recreation is a key obstacle to participation, Opinion piece by Ann Travers, July 20, 2018.
• The Early Edition, a radio interview with author Ann Travers' on their book The Trans Generation, about the lives of trans kids, how societal perceptions are changing and what challenges remain, with Stephen Quinn, June 12, 2018.