Smith Quidditch team prevented from competing

Smith College’s Quidditch team may play its last season this spring after a ruling from the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association (IQA) came through. The IQA states in its handbook that “Each team must have at least two players in play that are of a different gender identity than at least two other players.” For the past seven years, the IQA has exempted all single-sex institutions from this rule, but this is no longer the case.

This ruling will also prevent two other women’s colleges, Wellesley College and St. Mary’s College, from playing Quidditch this fall, as well as a few high school teams. Simmons College Quidditch, which has been working towards becoming an official team, will also be prohibited from playing.

Since learning of this news last fall, Smith Quidditch has been attempting to communicate with the IQA to request an exemption from this decision. After some difficulty getting in touch with the IQA due to a lack of responsiveness, Smith junior Gabrielle Martone, co-captain of the team, and Bonnie May, the Director of Club Sports, finally skyped with them. “The IQA stated that Quidditch is a coed sport and they will no longer grant exceptions for single sex teams,” May said.

In addition to contacting the IQA, Smith Quidditch has also started a petition on change.org. The petition, whose goal is to reinstate the single-sex institution exemption clause, currently has over 1,300 signers. “They are also doing a photo shoot on campus so clubs and individuals who support the cause can be photographed doing such,” May said.

The alteration of this ruling occurred because the IQA believes that having a single-sex team allows for a competitive advantage over co-ed teams. In a Tumblr post, the IQA stated that, “While the missions of single-sex institutions are admirable andcertainly do contribute in various manners to overall equality, the fact that these teams inherently discourage members of all genders is simply contrary to the IQA’s mission.”

The post also mentioned that requiring multiple genders on every team allows for an enhanced experience that players would not find playing on a single-gendered team.

The IQA supports and recognizes those who do not identify on the gender-binary, making it possible for single-sex institutions to play if there are at least two players who do not identify as women.

“The key is how they would implement this,” said Smith first-year Emily DiPadov, Smith first-year, also co-captain of the team. “It is unacceptable for [the IQA] to have a roster of players’ gender identities, and it has happened before that other teams have questioned the gender identities of our players—something which is not okay.”

Currently, Smith Quidditch does not have any players who do not identify as female, not because they would not accept these players, but because currently, no male-identifying students have expressed interest in playing Quidditch.

Now, Smith Quidditch faces termination from the league on July 1, despite being members of the IQA for the past 3 years. “That does not mean we will stop playing Quidditch,” DiPadova said.  The team feels strongly that this is an issue larger than their ability or inability to play Quidditch next fall. “This is about the right of a women’s college to play sports,” says DiPadova, “And we are not giving up.”