A Chicago LGBTQ+ community center has announced it will hold one of the country’s first 5K races centered on trans people.

Brave Space Alliance (BSA) – the first Black trans-led LGBTQ+ center on the city’s South Side – will host the Dignity Dash: Running for Our Lives 5K on August 17th at AIDS Garden Chicago.

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“The Dignity Dash is more than a race — it’s a powerful statement of solidarity and visibility,” Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance, said in a statement.

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“In a time when trans lives are under attack across the country, this event affirms our existence, celebrates our resilience, and galvanizes our community to run toward liberation together. It’s not just about crossing a finish line, it’s about showing up for one another, honoring ourselves and our ancestors, and investing in a future where trans people not only survive, but thrive.”

Those interested in participating can do so individually or on a team and can run in honor of a trans person. Proceeds from the run will support BSA’s services. The organization has set a goal of raising more than $100,000.

The race comes amidst years of conflict over trans people participating in running events, and specifically the ongoing fight for nonbinary divisions.

At the macro level, the track and field governing body known as World Athletics recently announced new anti-trans policies. In March, the organization’s president, Sebastian Coe, said female athletes will likely be required to undergo genetic testing to ensure trans athletes are prevented from joining women’s teams.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to discontinue conducting gender verification tests in 1999, as determining sex by chromosomes has been highly contested, as other genes and factors can influence a person’s sexual development, especially for intersex people.

Coe, however, is adamant that these tests have merit, but as of March, World Athletics was still looking for a provider who would be willing to carry them out. The organization said it was hoping to have testing in place by September, in time for its Outdoor World Championships.

And of course, trans athletes as a whole continue to be targeted by the current administration.

The GOP has been pushing the idea that trans women have a biological advantage over cis women and therefore should be prevented from participating in women’s sports. A recent study, however, found that trans women actually underperform when compared to cis athletes.

The study confirms that transitioning presents various physical changes, such as a lower center of mass and fat distribution, decreased muscle mass and bone density, and lower blood oxygen levels.

The president signed an executive order, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, which attempts to ban trans women from competing in women’s sports, arguing their inclusion violates Title IX.

After he signed the order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told U.S. Immigration officials to deny visas to transgender athletes attempting to enter the U.S. and permanently ban them for “misrepresenting” their birth sex.

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