I believe that if there's no physical advantage, it shouldn't matter what your background is, or whether you're transgender or not. I think people should take a step back when they think about trans athletes in sports. If hormone levels don't confer an advantage, there's no reason to bar anyone from participating.

Do you think playing sports has made your social transition easier or harder? How has it been different for you than for others?

My social transition has been made easier by sports. My teammates are like a second family, and they really did give me the strength to be able to do this. Socially transitioning with the league also meant that I never had to come out to, like, my distant cousins, or to strangers—even my home doctor heard about my new gender identity and name, and changed everything on my file. [Laughs] My grandma found out through an article in the local newspaper. She left me a voicemail saying, "Hi Harrison"—she used my name right away—"I just want to say I’m 100% behind you, and support you completely." It was really nice.

What made you change your mind about retirement and decide to put your career on hold for this?

League rules don't prevent me from getting surgery, but I decided to delay it anyway. I came out at the beginning of a season, but over the next six months, I heard from so many people who said that watching me be an active athlete—a trans man in this very binary world of sports—gave them hope. My decision was also influenced by the U.S. government's attacks on the LGBTQ community, and by the trans military ban especially. The trans community is my community, and the ban was a direct attack on my brothers and sisters and siblings who are trans. You don't have to be in the military to understand the impact of being a victim of discrimination. I feel that even though I'm just one person, I can make a difference, and I can make more of one if I'm an active athlete than if I just kind of blend into society. I felt like I had more to give in that respect.

How the Republican Health Care Bill Will Affect Trans Americans It won't be good.

Plus, I... love hockey! [Laughs] It is my passion!

How did you decide between continuing to play your sport on the one hand, and starting the physical transition process on the other?

Everyone gets wrapped up in the physical aspect of being a trans person. I do want to physically transition eventually. But right now, this is enough for me. Some people wonder if I'm sacrificing who I’m "meant" to be. But I'm becoming "who I'm meant to be" through a lot of things—through relationships, with my friends and my family. The physical aspect is a small part of who I am. By playing the sport I love, and showing people that you can be successful while still being yourself, I'm getting far more out of it that I'm sacrificing.

What advice would you give to trans athletes struggling to figure out what their status means for their ability to participate in their sport?

I've had younger kids reach out to me on social media who haven't physically transitioned, but who want to continue playing a women's sport, or who want to play the sport of their chosen gender. Obviously, I can't talk about playing with my chosen gender, because I've never done that. But I've had conversations with many people about socially transitioning while playing women's sports. Really, the main consideration is whether you feel safe around your teammates, and your coaches, and your league. As long as you feel safe and supported, you deserve to play your sport authentically, as yourself.