The launch of Sporting Pride!!
Following on from the success of Team Ireland at the World Gay Games in Paris last year Sporting Pride, Ireland’s national LGBTQ+ sports organisation, has been established. Sporting Pride is committed to making sport a more inclusive and diverse environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community and in doing so, promoting the positive benefits of fitness and exercise to one’s physical and mental wellbeing. We believe that sport and the benefits it brings should be for everyone and neither sexual orientation nor gender identity should be a barrier to participation. The mental and physical health benefits of taking part in sports are well known but participation rates in sports by the LGBTQ+ community are below the national average. Homophobia, bi-phobia, transphobia, societal pressure and concerns around ‘coming out’ all contribute to a decline in participation amongst late teens and older LGBTQ people and work is needed to improve rates. To achieve these goals Sporting Pride is developing two interlinked strands:
1. Promotion: participating in sport is a proven way to improve mental and physical health. We will achieve increased participation by the LGBTQ+ community by supporting established LGBTQ+ sports clubs across the country. We will work with National Sports Governing Bodies to develop LGBTQ+ inclusive programmes for every sports club in Ireland. We will continue the work in breaking down barriers, increasing participation rates and making sport a more inclusive and welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community at all levels.
2. Competition: for those wanting to compete at national or international level we will encourage athletes to join Team Ireland at the regular national or international LGBTQ+ friendly competitions taking place throughout the world. The EuroGames in Rome in July will offer athletes an opportunity to experience international competition and applications to join the Team are now open. Team Ireland brought home over 40 medals, 13 gold, from last year’s World Gay Games in Paris, in sports such as badminton, swimming, running and cycling.