promoting inclusion and accessibility for all rowers, regardless of gender identity.

Since 2022, Steady State Network has raced as Allies with Oars to promote inclusion and accessibility for all rowers, regardless of gender identity. We do this by pulling together competitive lineups for major regattas including USRowing Masters Nationals and Head of the Charles. In 2024, Allies with Oars crews also participated in Race Around the Rock, a coastal race in British Columbia, Canada.

The Allies with Oars initiative is part of our larger mission to expand the narrative about rowing culture. We were honored to receive USRowing’s 2023 Anita DeFrantz Award, recognizing an individual or organization achieving measurable success in expanding diversity opportunities in rowing.

Be an Allies AMBASSADOR

Allies Ambassadors are:

  • Trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive rowers, coaches, and coxswains

  • Parents, family members, and allies of trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive rowers, coaches, and coxswains

  • Committed and proud to represent and put into action the Allies With Oars initiative to promote inclusion and accessibility for all rowers, regardless of gender identity.  

  • Enthusiastic and engaged members of the rowing community with active lives on social media

  • At least two of the above and actively training, racing, and/or coaching (any age, novice to elite)

Allies Ambassadors will:

  • Showcase and race in boat lineups you coordinate/support that represent the Allies With Oars initiative. 

  • Represent and advocate for gender inclusion through social media posts, on-site (boathouse and regatta) advocacy, and sharing promotional materials.

  • Invite dialogue at your boathouse and in your rowing network around gender inclusion in the areas of recruiting, racing, and retention.

Benefits of membership:

  • Exclusive access to limited edition Allies Ambassador gear, including Rival Kit and Headsweats

  • Form your own Allies with Oars crews for events with the support of Steady State Network

  • Ambassador take-overs of Steady State Network an Allies with Oars socials on regatta days

  • Monthly Ambassador spotlights in the Steady State Network e-newsletter and socials

Learn about gender inclusion policy

  • Dr. Mary O'Connor

    Fighting to Save Women’s Rowing

    LISTEN

  • Coach Ann Strayer

    On Inclusion and Self-Worth in Rowing

    LISTEN

  • Coach Kevin Harris

    On the Importance of Embracing Diversity

    LISTEN

  • Challenging the Binary

    Making a New Lane in Rowing

    LISTEN

usrowing gender policy & event categories

Youth Level
(Youth, Junior, High School, Scholastic, U19, U17, U15)
Athletes at the youth level shall be allowed to participate in a rowing activity in accordance with their expressed gender identity irrespective of the sex listed on the athlete’s birth certificate or student records, and regardless of whether the athlete has undergone any medical treatment, subject to the Eligibility Procedures set forth below.

Adult Athletes
Masters, senior, intermediate, U23, 18+ who are not in college or high school
Athletes over the age of 18, who are not considered a youth or collegiate rower, shall be allowed to participate in a rowing activity in accordance with such athlete’s expressed gender identity irrespective of the sex listed on the athlete’s birth certificate and regardless of whether the athlete has undergone any medical treatment subject to the Eligibility Procedures set forth below.

Collegiate Level
Collegiate athletes, under the jurisdiction of the NCAA or other national rowing governing organizations, are subject to gender identity policy in World Rowing’s Rule Book (worldrowing.com). Effective March 1, 2025 and consistent with World Rowing rules published on February 14, 2023, collegiate rowers competing in NCAA or IRA women’s categories must maintain a continuous serum testosterone level of 2.5 nmol/liter or less for at least 24 consecutive months prior to any competition as a member of their collegiate team.

EVENT CATEGORIES 
Starting March 1, 2023, domestic events hosted by USRowing adopted the following categories for competition. For the sake of clarity, this excludes collegiate events, which are subject to following World Rowing’s policy.

  • Women’s Events: Events exclusively for athletes who identify as a woman at the start of the rowing season and/or those who are assigned as female at birth.

  • Men’s Events: Events exclusively for athletes who identify as a man at the start of the rowing season and/or those who are assigned as male at birth.

  • Mixed Events (masters only): Boat entries in this category must consist of 50% athletes of any gender and 50% athletes assigned as female at birth.

  • Open Gender Events: These events are for athletes of any gender

MAKING WAVES. GETTING NOTICED.

In 2022, our first Allies with Oars crew took on the Directors’ Challenge Mixed8+ at the Head Of The Charles Regatta. It was comprised of trans, nonbinary, gay, queer, and straight ally athletes. Our mission caught the attention of VICE News, which produced a segment about us for Queer Sports. Click play to watch the segment, which is part of a longer episode about queer athletes and the power of activism.