Support Systems: For a More Inclusive Debate Space

Disclaimer

We write solely from our own experiences as women in the debate space (hence the use of binary language/pronouns). We do not represent the experiences or opinions of all women and gender minorities in the debate space. Additionally, as debaters from Lexington, we recognize our immense privilege to not only have an established debate program but to also have access to many mentors and teammates who have never failed to make us feel included in the debate space.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to our coach Sheryl Kaczmarek, Ava Kam, Austin Li, Robin Pan, Vik Maan, Aanya Ghosh, Jayden Bai, Amy Ma, and our W.in mentors for your endless encouragement and guidance. You were all essential to building the support system we have today.

Debate at Lexington

In the debate space, gender disparities consistently facilitate a toxic environment for non-male participants and reinforce problematic stereotypes where the “average” debater is seen as male. At Lexington High School (LHS), this dynamic manifests in class enrollment. Our debate team has built-in class periods during the school day for debate. Nearly every year, the number of non-male students taking Introduction to Debate courses at LHS is dwarfed by the number of cis-men. Even fewer non-male students continue into varsity classes and compete regularly on the circuit.

But surprisingly, when we arrived at our introductory LD course in 2021, the class had something rare: an overwhelming majority of women.

Novice Year

Every LHS introductory debate course is taught by senior teaching assistants (TAs) to help usher novices into the world of debate. We were taught by Austin Li, Robin Pan, and Ava Kam, who helped shape our identities as debaters, as well as our impressions of the debate space. From the beginning of the year, all of our TAs expressed their excitement at our female-dominated class. By contrast, their introductory course consisted of twelve boys and a mere four girls—one of which dropped the class in two weeks. In their varsity debate class, all twelve boys continued, and Robin and Ava were the only two girls remaining. We quickly learned that our class was an irregularity for the circuit debate community. In addition to explaining the steep learning curve that would come with the transition to circuit debate, Robin and Ava cautioned us of the bias and implicit discrimination we would likely face being women on the circuit. Furthermore, their emphasis on steady streams of encouragement, in-class time for team bonding, and sibling-like teaching style brought us together and empowered us.

The Circuit

Over the summer, most of our class had the privilege to attend a debate camp that served as both an educational crash course and a bonding experience for our team. Fortunate enough to be placed in the same lab, we turned what would have been a male-dominated lab into a majority-female group. While the content and discussions we had were not different from any other lab, having other girls in the space increased our confidence. We were more willing to ask questions in front of the group, practice debate with our peers, and seek out unfamiliar staff during office hours. Our bond grew quickly as we started bridging the gap from teammates to friends.

The transition to circuit debate from novice year was a drastic academic and social shift. We began traveling to in-person tournaments, hitting nationally-ranked opponents, and reading progressive arguments. Experiencing the way varsity debaters interacted in the hyper-connected, male-dominated LD community, we became even more reliant on each other. Having many same-gender teammates helped us form a support group that facilitated our growth— we encouraged one another to ask senior teammates questions, compiled and shared prep, and confided in one another when we faced gender bias.

These support systems are particularly important when dealing with discrimination in the debate space. Anytime we encountered gender bias, we communicated with each other knowing that we have all experienced similar situations such as condescending body language, overly aggressive CX, being talked down to, ignored, or hearing punitive adjectives used to describe female-identifying debaters. Regardless of the situation, it was reassuring to know there was someone willing to listen, affirm our experiences, and acknowledge the inequality, as opposed to brushing it off as situational or a one-time occurrence.

Suggestions

We used our experiences to formulate a few suggestions on how to make debate more inclusive and educational.

First, team captains, leaders, and upperclassmen should be aware that the way they speak to novices forms their perception of the debate space. Rather than solely promoting competitive success, it is important to remind students of the effect they have on the debate space. Teach debaters to affirm people’s lived experiences even if they differ from their own, and lead by example in how you treat gender minorities.

In addition, team bonding is essential to form a healthy team dynamic. We have seen success with methods such as informal discussions of tournament experiences, dedicating time for team games (shell shockers was extremely effective for us), and making the effort to communicate about topics not pertaining to debate.

Second, the smallest gestures can immensely change the appeal of debate, especially considering the time and energy required to partake in the activity. Regardless of the gender ratios on your team, try to proactively include everyone in prep groups, drills, and teaching sessions. Personally reaching out to younger debaters to include them in coaching and communication channels can make the difference between someone staying or leaving the activity. Try to create an environment where everyone on your team feels comfortable asking for help and support, no matter their competitive success.

Lastly, remember that your personality in round deeply influences less experienced debaters who look up to you. In our novice and sophomore year, all of us watched and participated in various varsity rounds in the hopes of learning from more experienced debaters. Not only did these rounds teach us how to debate well, but they also influenced how we act. Your behavior in and out of round – whether that’s laughing at a novice in CX or being disrespectful during your opponent’s speeches – matters. Everyone makes mistakes, but please remember to always be respectful, kind, and educational. Your actions shape the present-day debate space and can help form a safe place for debaters in the future.

Building networks of support in teams as well as being open to hearing others’ struggles in the debate space is an effective way of making debate more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. We want to acknowledge and appreciate how networks like W.in Debate do a great job of developing connections between debaters to support and build a community for gender minorities. Even though debate is inherently a competitive activity, there are aspects of the space we can improve as a community and we hope our suggestions can help play a small part.

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