In a moment of heightened political scrutiny and legislative pressure on LGBTQ+ rights, what does queer inclusion look like in the equestrian world? On Friday, the Full Moon Farm Eventing Foundation hosted a virtual panel of LGBTQIA+ equestrians and advocates to discuss representation, safety and what it means to be out in a sport that hasn’t always been welcoming of queer riders. 

The foundation, which aims to “promote good horsemanship, prevent marginalization, and foster diversity, equity and inclusion,” invited special guest U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Geirid Morgan, a transgender military service member and scientist, to discuss her experience of coming out in an institution where anti-trans policies have put her career at risk. Morgan joined the military 14 years ago and came out as a trans woman in 2023. As a plaintiff in a high-profile legal challenge to the military’s recent transgender service ban, Morgan has become a visible advocate for queer inclusion and policy change.

The panel was hosted by FMFEF board member Katrina Davis and moderated by board member Emily Jacobs. The speakers are listed alphabetically: 

• Charlie Crawford, barn management staff at Full Moon Farm in Finksburg, Maryland
• Lt. Cmdr. Geirid Morgan, military service member
• Jeremy Scott, FMFEF board member and medical school graduate
• Julia Zetlmeisl, undergraduate student and IHSA athlete at Otterbein University (Ohio) 

“The world of sports has come a long way, and it’s exciting to see how it’s become more inclusive and open to folks of all identities,” Jacobs said in opening the event. “That shift has been especially meaningful for LGBTQI+ athletes and equestrians, who’ve often had to navigate spaces [that] weren’t built for them. So today’s panel is all about having real conversations about the wins, the struggles and the work still ahead.”

Jacobs said Morgan’s presence on the panel aligned with the broader goals of the conversation: “highlighting how identity, performance and visibility play out across fields that are often structured and traditional, whether it’s in the military, sports or equestrian competition.”

Panelists started with a moment of joy, sharing ways that they’ve celebrated Pride month. Morgan said that with the current scrutiny of her role as an openly trans woman in the military, it was important for her to march, alongside her family, in the WorldPride parade June 7 in Washington, D.C. She and other military service members wore shirts reading, “Let them serve.”

“This has been a year that we really wanted to show some pride and get out there and really participate, and send a clear message to anyone that needed to hear it, that we’re not going anywhere,” Morgan said. “They can do whatever they feel like they want to do or need to do. We’ll fight it every step of the way. We’re here, queer, we’re not going anywhere.”

Inclusivity In The Horse World

Some panelists described their experiences coming up in environments where, at best, they could expect queerness to be tolerated quietly but not openly accepted. In his teens, Crawford said that he learned which barns were LGBTQIA-friendly through word of mouth, and remembered feeling uncomfortable coming out as queer in equestrian contexts.

“More or less that aspect of your identity kind of had to be separate from the horse world, just because it felt a bit too much like rocking the boat to really bring that part of your identity out into the public in those spaces,” Crawford said.

That disconnect often stems from uncertainty about whether a space is truly inclusive. When barn communities don’t explicitly communicate that they’re safe, physically and emotionally, riders are left to navigate that ambiguity on their own. Scott, who began riding at Full Moon Farm last year, said that when he comes into a new space, his instinct is to observe how that space welcomes others—or doesn’t.

“If I’m not seeing myself represented in the spaces that I want to exist in, then I have to sit there and say to myself, ‘OK, maybe it’s not meant for me to be in said space; it may not be safe there,’ ” Scott said. 

Morgan added that queer people need reassurance that their identity will not become grounds for exclusion. 

“I think that in the world of sports, ‘safety first,’ can mean a lot of different things,” Morgan said. “We neglect emotional safety and, a lot of times, your physical safety, and just safety in the arena that you’re competing in. But I think that’s something that has to prioritized.

“You really have to make sure that everyone feels welcome,” Morgan continued, ”so that everyone understands that their place in the group—their place in the organization—is not going to be dependent in any way, shape or form, on who they are as a person.”

Zetlmeisl drew on her experiences as a young rider to highlight the importance of role models, referring to an Otterbein professor’s maxim, “You have to see it to be it.” As a child, she didn’t know of any equestrians who were openly out, and that void made it hard for her to imagine her own future. She now hopes that, by living securely in her authentic identity as a queer adult, she can be the example to others that she once needed.

“I think that, had I had more representation and seen upper-level riders be openly queer, or just examples of what it might look like to have a livable, happy queer life, that would be so powerful,” she said. “That’s why I’m so openly queer, because that’s what I needed.”

Morgan, who grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, in the 1980s, said that she felt like an outsider in her hometown and didn’t have the vocabulary to articulate her feelings. Without positive role models, she struggled to envision her future. As a teen, it was painful and further isolating to see aspects of her identity sensationalized on daytime TV shows like Jerry Springer. She now encourages kids to seek out people who are living the lives they aspire to. That representation can be a lifeline.

“That is critically important to any kid’s development, mental health and growth as a person. But for a queer kid, it’s especially critical because we’re the minority, right?” she said. “There’s always going to be more people that are not like us than are like us in any space, any group, any community.”

Obstacles And Support Systems

Jacobs prompted the panelists to consider what challenges queer people face in their respective sports and organizations, and to share what support and resources have helped them to overcome those obstacles. Scott explained that investing in one’s own evolution and identity as a queer person is a challenge that requires remaining introspective and willing to evolve. 

“For a lot of us, our queerness has changed, and our understanding of our own queerness has changed as we’ve gotten older,” Scott said. “ ‘What box do I fit in?’ is the other big struggle.”

Crawford added that the best resources he’s found on his journey have been supportive people. By finding allies in the right places, he’s received encouragement that goes beyond “a text or an email.” Crawford had actually paused riding during college because, “I wasn’t totally sure how trans people fit into that space.” Finding a barn community that offers not just passive tolerance but active acceptance has made all the difference.

“When I’ve found acceptance in those spaces, it’s always been through individuals going a step beyond just saying that you can exist here, and saying that you can exist here and be supported,” he said. “In all these stages of life, as you’re trying to figure things out, [they’ll] stand by you.” 

Zetlmeisl shared moments of discrimination and micro-aggressions, using those examples to show how barn communities can foster greater inclusivity through more mindful language and behavior.

“I think a lot of times, the things that are hurtful are not intended to be hurtful,” Zetlmeisl said. “It’s a comment here and there, or just in general, not inclusive language; like making a comment about, ‘my future husband.’ 

“Obviously, they’re intended to be just conversation or small talk,” she added, “but in that moment when someone says that to me, I immediately clock that, and it kind of shifts the conversation, even in a way that that person didn’t intend.”

Zetlmeisl and other panelists talked about the careful calculations they use to decide when to engage and when to set a boundary with a person expressing homophobia, whether intentionally or not. 

“I want to go in, obviously, with an open mind—but also it’s not my job. I’m not Google, I’m not their teacher, I’m not their mom.” she said. “So I have to kind of protect my peace. If someone’s being overtly homophobic, I’m not going to engage.”

Crawford added that, on the road to advocacy, people shouldn’t skip education. He said that people often overlook self-reflection, which he says is the key to unpacking sometimes hidden prejudices.

“As much as we would all like to sit here and change societal-level bias, that bias doesn’t change while you’re still holding it within yourself,” he said. “We’re all kind of born with that inherent sense of bias against other identities—against our own identities—and you can’t really work towards addressing that on a larger scale unless you’ve done the work to figure out where those live within yourself.”

Panelists also spoke to the exhaustion of living with the pressure to serve as educators or ambassadors for their identities, even while that work feels important.

“I do a lot of media associated with [the lawsuit against the current administration], and it wears you pretty thin,” Morgan said. “It’s empowering. You get that adrenaline rush afterwards. You feel like maybe you changed a heart; you changed a mind; you moved the needle. But it does take a lot out of you as well.” 

For Morgan, that activism is only manageable if she can “take a step back from the noise,” and prioritize her mental health. Therapy is one piece of the puzzle that helps her maintain a balance between her public advocacy and her well-being. Still, as Morgan has become a face for trans service members’ rights, that visibility has come at a cost. 

“There are real, personal consequences to being on the more visible side of things with queer politics—even though I hate grouping queerness with politics, because we are not politics, we are people—but that’s kind of the water we’re swimming in right now,” she said. 

Making Steps Toward Inclusion

Panelists agreed that coaches and administrators are largely responsible for setting the foundation for an inclusive barn or work culture. Zetlmeisl explained that, as a lifelong Full Moon Farm rider, she was nervous about the shift to a new riding culture at Otterbein. Fortunately, she was pleasantly surprised by the example set at the top.

“The eventing coach at Otterbein is super openly an advocate for queer voices,” she said. “She is super supportive, and I think that that has made a huge impact on how comfortable I feel being openly queer on the team and like as an athlete in general.”

Scott said that allies need to be aware of their privilege and be willing to act on it. 

“I say to people right now, if you’re not looking every time there’s a ding on your phone and getting a little bit of a palpitation … I think that’s the greatest show of your privilege,” he said. “And with that privilege means that you have even greater responsibility right now.”

Morgan said that empty platitudes from friends and coworkers feel especially out-of-touch when she’s facing such extreme consequences for simply living as a trans woman.

“I get a lot of, ‘You’ll land on your feet,’ or, ‘It’ll be OK, just smile,’ or, ‘It’s not that bad,’ ” Morgan said. “Somebody told me at work, ‘Don’t take it personally.’ And it’s like, my life is being flipped upside down because of who I am as a person. That is about as personal as it gets, right?”

While those comments are dismissive and unhelpful, she tries to respond with grace when she can see that people want to learn more, or are trying to offer compassion.

“It can be so stressful for people that want to be allies, right? Because they’re so worried about saying the wrong thing at the wrong time,” she said. “You don’t have to say the right thing 100% of the time. That’s not a requirement.

“The requirement is just: be open, be welcoming, be open to learning,” she continued. “Come with a heart that is ready to accept people for who they are.” 

Learn more about Full Moon Eventing Foundation and its upcoming events here.