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Online Webinar: Wednesday 26th May @ 19:00
Sporting Pride have once again partnered with Gay Community News (GCN) to continue its successful Standing Proud in Irish Sport webinar series with a group discussion on the topic of Transgender Participation in Sport. The event will be streamed live as part of GCN’s In & Out Festival and joining us on the night will be:
Connor Shine - Galway
Giulia Valentino - Dublin
Violet O’Brien - Wicklow
Taking place on Wednesday 26th May @ 19:00, the panellists will openly discuss their experiences in sport and what needs to be done to make sport a more safe and inclusive space for everyone. Topics include:
Positive experiences in sport
Challenges faced in relation to sports participation
Research on transgender participation in sport
Increasing transgender participation in sport
Towards the end of the live discussion, viewers will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions via the forum, a unique offering that enables sports fans to interact directly with the participants.
Karina Murray, the Events Coordinator of Sporting Pride, says
“Sport is a powerful tool that communities across the world utilise to bring people together and promote better health within their community. Transgender people often feel excluded from sporting spaces. It is therefore important to hear about their experiences in sport and to discuss what needs to be done to ensure they are included. These three sports people each have a unique experience to share and we look forward to hearing their personal stories”
To watch this ground-breaking free webinar, go to the live streaming links below on Wednesday, May 26th at 19:00
About the Panel
Connor Shine
Connor is a biomedical engineer working in industry in Galway. He is an Ordinary Committee Member on the Galway Community Pride committee for 2021, and he is actively involved in the LGBTQ+ community in Galway, where he plays soccer with the local LGBTQ+ football team, Teach Solais Tribes FC, is an active member of the running group set up by AMACH LGBT+, and where he regularly attended drop-in at the local resource centre Teach Solais, prior to its closure. Connor was recently appointed to a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Panel created by Fulbright Ireland, and he is a board member of the Irish Fulbright Alumni Association and of Fulbright Prism Ireland.
Giulia Valentino
Originally from Italy, Giulia is trans woman and an avid rugby player and climber who has been living in Dublin for the past 2 years. She is passionate about sports and has made inclusion in every sport discipline the core of her activism. She is a Queer and transfeminist woman dreaming of post-gender society where patriarchy and binarism will be only bad memories. Pronouns: She/Her
Violet O'Brien
Violet is a financial software developer from County Wicklow. Since transitioning in 2015 she has found her voice trying to spread accessible and relatable messages about her experiences as a trans woman in Ireland, in tech and in sports. She's spoken on stage at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, as well as featuring on RTÉ News and Radio. Violet grew up competing at national level in chess and is an avid football fan, having played pre and post transition to varying degrees of success!
About the Hosts
Sporting Pride
Founded in 2018, Sporting Pride is Ireland’s sport, fitness and exercise body, tasked with inspiring the LGBTQ+ community to get active. Research shows that 55% of LGBT men and 56% of LGBT women are not active enough to maintain good health, compared with 33% and 45% respectively of the general public. As a member of the EGLSF and the Federation of Gay Games, Sporting Pride also offers LGBTQ+ sportspeople the opportunity to represent Ireland in international competitions. For more: www.sportingpride.ie
GCN
GCN is the national LGBTQ+ press in Ireland operating since 1988. GCN reflects queer life in Ireland and is delighted to collaborate with Sporting Pride and the Emerald Warriors to facilitate this vital conversation about the LGBTQ+ experience in the sports arena and how we can all work together to make sport a more inclusive space and accessible for the LGBTQ+ community. GCN are currently running a fundraiser to support their ongoing work. To find out more about their #GCN100KinMay visit their event information page!
Sporting Pride Events Contact
Karina Murray: karina.murray@sportingpride.ie