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Sporting Pride and Dublin Pride would like to invite you to join us for a live discussion with Transgender athlete, author and researcher Joanna Harper – a medical physicist who over the years has advised a number of international sports federations on the topic of Transgender inclusion in sport.

Joanna herself is a competitive runner who is currently researching Transgender athletic performance at Loughborough University in the UK.

The exclusion of Transgender athletes from sporting activities in Ireland and across the globe has shown there is a need for more open, inclusive dialogue in the public sphere. Sporting Pride was saddened, hurt, and deeply disappointed by Irish Rugby’s recent decision to ban Trans women and girls over 12 from competing in contact rugby. Setting this precedent of discrimination within Irish Sport is dangerous, and not a road we think anyone wants to go down.

To the IRFU and other National Governing Bodies in Ireland who may be considering such a ban, we are calling you in, not calling you out, to do better. Listen, centre, and work with the Trans community it directly affects.

A quote from Anna Brown, CEO of Equality Australia – “All women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, whether they’re Trans or not, and regardless of their innate sex characteristics.”

Inclusion policies need to centre the Trans community, and come from a place of inclusion not exclusion. If you don’t know where to start, follow Trans voices, follow Trans organisations, follow queer sports clubs. Listen to them and work with them. It is for this reason we are hosting events, like this one, to provide a platform for the Transgender community to speak out and have their voices heard.

Another amazing Transgender athlete, author, and current Chairperson of Dublin Pride, Philippa Ryder, will be leading this discussion. Philippa says that “the current negativity and transphobia directed at Trans women who wish to take part in sports is something we as a community need to address strongly. We need to educate both the general public and also the governing bodies who all too often fall back on the Health and Safety argument, despite there being a lack of international research showing that Trans women do have an advantage or that they pose a risk to cis women.

“Within genders there is a huge range of body types and yet there is no argument when, for example, Irish rugby star Peter Stringer faced New Zealand’s Jonah Lomu, despite their massive difference in stature. It is vital that all who wish to play sports are able to exercise their human rights to do so on their preferred teams, for both their physical and mental health.”

This conversation with Joanna Harper was live-streamed via Dublin Pride’s Facebook page on Wednesday September 14th at 4pm. Viewers will have the opportunity to leave comments and questions throughout, which will be discussed by our presenter towards the end. We look forward to welcoming you all to what promises to be an informative discussion.

With thanks to the Bank of Ireland Begin Together fund and the Community Foundation of Ireland.

Update 28th May 2022: Missed the event? Check out the video below

Sporting Pride, GCN, the US Embassy in Ireland, and Bank of Ireland present: 'Promoting Transgender Inclusion in Sport with Chris Mosier'.

Streaming live on Facebook and YouTube from 2:00PM on Thursday, May 26th, join host Philippa Ryder who will bring Chris through a range of topics including his experience as an elite level transgender athlete, the biases the community face, creating a culture of inclusion in sports, and what steps need to be taken to increase transgender participation in sport.

With thanks to the generous support of the US Embassy in Ireland and the Bank of Ireland Begin Together fund

Missed our event?

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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

Missed our event?

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Online Webinar: Wednesday 12th May @ 19:00

Sporting Pride, the association tasked with getting the LGBTQ+ community active, have partnered with the Emerald Warriors Rugby Football Club and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to continue its successful Standing Proud in Irish Sport webinar series with a group discussion on the topic of inclusivity and diversity in rugby. The event will be streamed live by the wonderful team at Gay Community News (GCN) as part of their ongoing In & Out festivities.

Representatives from both the Emerald Warriors and the IRFU will be present on the evening to share their knowledge and upcoming plans, as well as taking viewers through their experiences of rugby from their own unique perspectives.

Three Emerald Warriors will speak at the event:

• Phillip Purcell - Vice President

• Eamon McConomy - Treasurer

• Darren Morrin - Coach

Representing the IRFU is their Disability & Inclusion Officer - David McKay

We are also delighted to have Ulster Rugby’s Women and Girl’s Rugby Coordinator Eliza Downey hosting this interview. An experienced athlete in her own right, Eliza will guide the panel through a number of different topics, including (but not limited to):

• A history of the Emerald Warriors, their exciting new strategy and what you stand to gain from joining the club

• The benefits of rugby for participants - physical, social and mental

• The work of the IRFU in promoting rugby and LGBTQ+ community participation in their sport

• The visibility of LGBTQ+ community members in rugby, with a focus on men in rugby

Taking place on Wednesday 12th May @ 19:00, the interview promises to be a lively discussion with panellists talking openly and honestly about their personal experiences and much more.

Towards the end of the live interview, viewers will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions via the forum, a unique offering that enables interaction with the participants.

Karina Murray, the Events Coordinator of Sporting Pride, says

“Sporting Pride has long held the belief that our community’s sports clubs play a crucial role in promoting sport to everyone, regardless of gender identity and/or sexuality. The Emerald Warriors have proven themselves to be a leader in the area of diversity & inclusion and we are excited to hear what they have planned for the coming months. The addition of the IRFU’s Diversity & Inclusion officer to the panel will bring an added bonus in terms of input from a National Governing Body on what they can offer our community members”

To watch this ground-breaking free webinar, go to GCN’s live streaming links below on Wednesday 12th May @ 19:00

About the Panel 

Eliza Downey – Presenter - Rugby / Gaelic Football

A former All Ireland winning Gaelic football and International Rugby athlete and current Coordinator of Women & Girl’s rugby, Eliza has had quite a varied career on and off the pitch, working in the public, private and non-for-profit sectors.

Eliza is passionate about developing others. She has over 10 years’ experience as an athlete, leader, and performance coach supporting and developing personnel within the Performance environment.

She has represented her country at the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, captained her county to historic wins and stood on the steps of Croke Park raising the cup on All Ireland final day.

Through sport she has enjoyed the sweet taste of success while pushing through bitter disappointment with all these experiences shaping her unique approach and mindset for future goal setting and challenges.

Phillip Purcell - Rugby / Emerald Warriors

Phillip has played rugby for nearly 20 years, beginning at the age of six (6), playing at different levels throughout his rugby career from junior club to senior club along with playing for Munster development in his early teenage years. Phillip captained the first international team to play at his home club, old christians RFC, in Cork before taking a break from playing rugby for a short number of years due to a neck injury.

Phillip found his love for Rugby once again when he moved to Dublin a numbers of years ago when he discovered the Emerald Warriors, an LGBT+ inclusive club based in Dublin, and has since moved from being a player to committee member to more recently, being appointed to Vice President of the Club.

Darren Morrin - Rugby / Emerald Warriors

Darren has been involved in rugby for over 21 years. He is currently the head coach of the Emearld Warriors RFC and also plays AIL 2B with Malahide RFC. He has worked with Leinster Rugby as a CCRO (Club Community Rugby Officer) and coached and managed a number of teams and schools over his coaching career. He has played all his rugby career with Malahide RFC and been involved with them on their journey from Leinster League Division 3 to AIL 2B and still making progress.

Eamon McConomy - Rugby / Emerald Warriors

Eamon joined the Emerald Warriors in 2007. He was new to rugby but found the club provided the perfect environment to be taught/coached the skills needed to succeed and enjoy the game.

Currently he is the Treasurer for the club and in the past was captain for two years.

The club has provided life long friends both on and off the pitch.

David McKay - Rugby / Disability & Inclusion Officer, Irish Rugby Football Union

David’s role within the IRFU is to support the development of inclusive & diverse rugby and to promote opportunities for people that come from a marginalised groups to access the game. With a strategic overview of all disability & inclusion programs being run across the 4 provinces and at a national level. He also provides support & training to all our volunteers & staff.

A Ballymena native, having played the game for over 24 years, he has worked in the community and voluntary sector before taking up a development role at Ulster Rugby which has led to his current role.

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 

The Emerald Warriors 

The Emerald Warriors are an LGBTQ+ inclusive rugby football club based in Dublin. Founded in 2003, they have excelled both on and off the field. In recent years they have hosted one of rugby’s most inclusive rugby tournaments, The Union Cup, which included a women’s tournament for the first time ever. They also offer support to their club members through their Folláine Wellbeing programme. The Warriors are launching strategy and we are excited to hear more about what this club has to offer. Find out more at www.ewrfc.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

With thanks to the Bank of Ireland Begin Together fund and the Community Foundation of Ireland



Missed the event?

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Sporting Pride are delighted to team up with the inspirational Dublin Front Runners to host a live online interview with Andrew Burke Hannon - a recent leader in RTE’s Operation Transformation and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. This event will be hosted by the wonderful team at Gay Community News as part of their In and Out 2021 festivities and will be streamed live on both their Facebook and Youtube channels. Steven O’Riordan, an award winning documentary director and producer, will lead the interview, taking Andrew through his experience of the show and discussing the importance of running and minding one’s wellbeing.

Andrew fell in love with the sport of running during his time on the show, finishing the OT 5km race in the fastest time ever ran by a leader. He lost an amazing 2 stone and 3 pounds and would like to share his journey to help others who may benefit from hearing his story.

Taking place on Wednesday 21st April 2021 at 19:00, Andrew will talk openly and honestly about his personal experiences, including:

• Growing up as a gay man in Ireland

• His experience on RTE’s Operation Transformation

• His love for the sport of running and how we could benefit from taking part

Karina Murray, Events Coordinator of Sporting Pride, says “Andrew is a fantastic role model for members of the LGBTQ+ community. His story has the power to inspire others who want to take control of their health and wellbeing, and both ourselves and the Dublin Front Runners are looking forward to hearing how running in particular plays a key role in how he manages his wellbeing today”.

To watch this exciting free webinar, go to the live streaming links below on Wednesday 21st April at 19:00.

About the Panel 

Steven O’Riordan – Presenter / Runner

Steven O’ Riordan is a Communications Specialist at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. He is an award-winning feature-length documentary producer and director. His works include The Forgotten Maggies (TG4), No Limbs No Limits (RTE) and Born Lucky (BBC). In 2019 he was awarded the Lincoln Recruitment Early Careers Award for his work as a communications specialist within Government and politics. His No. 1 bestselling book “Whispering Hope” was published in 2015. It chronicles the remarkable success he and Magdalene, survivors of institutional abuse, had when they sought and secured a historic state apology in Ireland.

Steven has worked with an array of people, including politicians, NGO’s, schools, universities and leading businesses throughout Ireland, the UK and America, advising and guiding them on how to create and develop better communications to enhance business potential, public sector outputs and NGO campaigning. Steven is a member and active runner with the Dublin Front Runners Club. 

Andrew Burke Hannon - Operation Transformation Leader / Runner

Andrew is a 33 year old out and proud gay man living in Dublin with his husband Jason and wonderful parents. He was badly bullied during his school years, a period of his life that was extremely difficult for him. During that time his love for Baton Twirling grew, a sport he is extremely passionate about, resulting in him becoming a champion twirler. 2021 was going to be the year that he finally took control of his health and wellbeing and he signed up to Operation Transformation where he lost an astonishing 2 stone 3lbs. Andrew made history by recording the fastest 5k run by any leader since the show began - 23 minutes and 24 seconds.

Andrew would now like to promote the sport of running to others and says himself that “if I could inspire one person to get up and get involved in some kind of sport I would be over the moon!”.

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+ sports people the opportunity to represent Ireland in international competitions. www.sportingpride.ie 

Dublin Front Runners

Dublin Front Runners is an LGBTQ+ inclusive running club that was established in January 2005. Since then its grown to over 200 members, making it Ireland’s largest LGBTQ+ sports group. They cater for all levels, from beginner to long term runner, and their annual couch to 5k programme has taken many LGBTQ+ community members from non runner to athlete in a matter of weeks. They also organise the annual Dublin Pride Run as part of the Dublin Pride festivities and are looking forward to hosting a virtual event in 2021.

GCN

GCN is the national LGBT+ press in Ireland operating since 1988. GCN reflects queer life in Ireland and is delighted to collaborate with Sporting Pride and Dublin Pride to facilitate this vital conversation about the LGBT+ experience in the sports arena and how we can all work together to make sport a more inclusive space and accessible for the LGBT+ community. www.gcn.ie

Sporting Pride Events Contact

Karina Murray: karina.murray@sportingpride.ie

With Thanks to the Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together fund and The Community Foundation of Ireland

Missed the event?

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Online Webinar: Tuesday 13th April @ 19:00

Sporting Pride, the association tasked with getting the LGBTQ+ community active, have partnered with Dublin Pride, and the Emerald Warriors Rugby Football Club to continue its successful Standing Proud in Irish Sport webinar series with a group discussion involving some of Ireland’s most prominent rugby representatives

• Joy Neville - current Rugby Union referee / former Ireland Women’s Rugby Union International.

• Ruth O’Reilly - former Ireland Women’s Rugby Union International.

• Nora Stapleton - current Sport Ireland Women in Sport Lead / former Ireland Women’s Rugby Union International.

Taking place on Tuesday, April 13th 2021 at 19:00, the live discussion is the fourth in a series of events that focus on LGBTQ+ Women in Sport. Each event will feature LGBTQ+ female athletes talking openly and honestly about their personal experiences. This in particular discussion will focus on three key areas:

• Participation in rugby as an LGBTQ+ athlete, and policies for inclusion (both for women and LGBTQ+ athletes) 

• Professionalism - women as professional athletes

• Parenting - impact on participation in sports related activities & LGBTQ+ parenting specific considerations

The experienced broadcaster Anna Nolan will once again host the interview, taking the panel through their rugby careers and discussing the important role rugby has played in their lives, as well as their thoughts on the future of women in rugby and sports in general.

Towards the end of the live interview, viewers will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions via the forum, a unique offering that enables rugby fans to interact directly with the participants.

Karina Murray, the Events Coordinator of Sporting Pride, says

“We are delighted to promote the visibility of LGBTQ+ women via our fourth Women in Sports webinar with this amazing panel of experienced athletes representing the sport of rugby. We are looking forward to hearing about their life experiences as both female athletes and LGBTQ+ parents, still fighting for their rights in many ways, on and off the field.”

To watch this ground-breaking free webinar, go to the live streaming links below on Tuesday, April 13th at 19:00

About the Panel 

Anna Nolan – Presenter / Basketball

Anna Nolan is a television producer, broadcaster and opinion columnist. She began her television career when she stepped inside the very first Big Brother house, back in 2000. From there she worked at the BBC for two years. She moved back to Ireland and worked on the RTE documentary series, “Would You Believe”. 

Over the last 20 years, she has produced some of the most-watched television programmes on Irish television, including Room to Improve, Operation Transformation and is now Head of Development at COCO Television.

Anna started playing basketball at the age of 13, representing her school, Loreto Crumlin, and club, Naomh Mhuire, in national and international tournaments. In 1989, Anna won the U19 National Cup with Naomh Mhuire, was named Tournament MVP and was called up to play with the first team, who went on to win the Senior Women’s National Cup that year.

Joy Neville - Rugby

Joy Neville is a former Ireland women's rugby union international and a current rugby union referee. As a player, Neville represented Ireland at both the 2006 and 2010 Women's Rugby World Cups. In 2009 Neville captained the first Ireland team to defeat France. In 2013 she was also a member of the first Ireland women's team to win the Six Nations, Grand Slam and Triple Crown titles.

After retiring as a player, Neville became a referee. She has taken charge of matches in the Women's Six Nations Championship, the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series and the Women's Rugby World Cup, including the 2017 final. Neville has also achieved a number of firsts as a female referee in the men's game. In 2017 Neville was named World Rugby Referee of the Year.

Ruth O’Reilly - Rugby

Ruth O'Reilly is also a former Ireland women’s rugby union international and has been involved in the women’s game for over 20 years. Over that time Ruth has played at various levels of the game from college, club, province and country. She was a member of the Ireland team that won the Six Nations Championship in 2015 and captained her club Galwegians to All Ireland Cup victory in 2014. 

Since retiring from international rugby Ruth has extended her involvement in the game beyond the pitch, sitting on various committees and working groups at club and provincial level. Most recently Ruth has been appointed as Director of Women’s Rugby for Galwegians RFC.

Nora Stapleton - Rugby

Nora Stapleton is a former Ireland women's rugby union international and current Sport Ireland Women in Sport Lead. She represented Ireland at the 2010, 2014, and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Nora was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat both England and New Zealand and made 50 appearances for Ireland during her rugby career.

Having worked for the IRFU for a number of years, Nora now works for Sport Ireland tasked with leading out on and implementing the Sport Ireland Policy on Women In Sport. The policy aims to increase female involvement across all areas of sport with four key target areas; Leadership and Governance, Coaching and Officiating, Active Participation and Visibility. 

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 

Dublin Pride

Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival & Parade happens every year in June and celebrates respect, inclusion, diversity, and equality. Dublin Pride is one of the biggest people's parades and festivals in Ireland now, Pride is 365 days not just for one day. Dublin Pride runs events, workshops, and talks throughout the year and has hosted successful Winter Pride and Pride at Work events in recent times. Find out more here: www.dublinpride.ie  

The Emerald Warriors 

The Emerald Warriors are an LGBTQ+ inclusive rugby football club based in Dublin. Founded in 2003, they have excelled both on and off the field. In recent years they have hosted one of rugby’s most inclusive rugby tournaments, The Union Cup, which included a women’s tournament for the first time ever. They also offer support to their club members through their Folláine Wellbeing programme. Find out more at www.ewrfc.ie

Sporting Pride Events Contact

Karina Murray: karina.murray@sportingpride.ie

Sporting Pride in partnership with Dublin Lesbian Line, is proudly hosting on online webinar LGBTQ+ Women* in Sport: Increasing Visibility, this is 2nd in the LGBTQ+ Women in Sport series. Specifically this event’s aim is to increase the visibility of all LGBTQ+ women in sport and hear their stories.

Taking place on Thursday 25th February 2021 at 19:00, this webinar is the second in a series of events that will focus on LGBTQ+ Women in Sport. The webinar will feature LGBTQ+ athletes talking openly and honestly about their experiences in sport, including:

• the role sport played in growing up;

• influence on mental and physical development;

• the benefits of playing sport with LGBTQ+ inclusive clubs;

• experiences at LGBTQ+ inclusive sports tournaments;

• transgender inclusion in sport.

Hosting this webinar is Niamh Grennan, co-ordinator of Dublin Lesbian Line. Joining Niamh for this event are representatives from a number of Dublin’s finest LGBTQ+ inclusive sports clubs - Pink Ladies Hockey, Phoenix Tigers Football Club, and Emerald Warriors Rugby Football Club. Philippa Ryder, of Sporting Pride, will also join the discussion to add her perspective on the importance of female representation in sport.

Niamh Grannan of Dublin Lesbian Line says that

‘many LGBTQIA+ people around the country are feeling isolated and a lack of connection to the community. These webinars give women* an opportunity to hear about sports that are available to engage with once it is safe to do so. We are delighted to team up with Sporting Pride to platform the work of these sports teams and encourage more women* from all backgrounds to get back into or take up a new sport.  We’re passionate about increasing the visibility of women* in all facets of life and sport is great for mental and physical health, meeting new friends and feeling connected to the community.’

To watch this exciting free webinar register via the link below before Thursday February 25th

About The Panel

Phoenix Tigers Football Club was set up in June 2004 by a group of lesbians who thought that playing soccer was a good way to get fit, meet new people and have some fun through sport. And it is! The Tigers are a great group of friendly women and you can find out more about them at this upcoming webinar. Check out their Facebook page to find out more.

Pink Ladies is an off-season LGBTQ+ hockey club in Dublin, with an emphasis on craic and friendship. The club has a diverse collection of women with all levels of skill, from beginner to experienced. Whether you’re looking to improve your hockey skills, or maybe just want to make new friends in the LGBTQ+ community, Pink Ladies is for you! Discover out more on the Pink Ladies Website

Emerald Warriors RFU are an LGBTQ+ inclusive rugby football club based in Dublin. Founded in 2003, they have excelled both on and off the field. In recent years they have hosted one of rugby’s most inclusive rugby tournaments, The Union Cup, which included a women’s tournament for the first time ever. They also offer support to their club members through their Folláine Wellbeing programme. Discover more on the Emerald Warriors website.

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. As a member of the EGLSF and the Federation of Gay Games, Sporting Pride also offers LGBTQ+ sports people the opportunity to represent Ireland in international competitions. Philippa Ryder will represent Sporting Pride at this webinar and will give an overview of our work as well as joining in on discussions throughout.

Dublin Lesbian Line 

Dublin Lesbian Line is a confidential support helpline, operated by a group of enthusiastic female-identified (LGBTQ+) volunteers. Although this service is not currently operating due to Covid restrictions they have moved online with webinars and social inclusion events and are dedicated to providing rather excellent support to the LGBTQ+ community. Their co-ordinator, Niamh Grennan, will be the host for this event.  Find out more here: https://www.dublinlesbianline.ie/

This event is supported by the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund and The Community Foundation of Ireland.

Missed our event?

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Sporting Pride, the association tasked with getting the LGBTQ+ community active, have partnered with Dublin Lesbian Line to continue its successful “Standing Proud in Irish Sport: My Life as an Elite LGBTQ+ Athlete” webinar series with an interview with Katie McCabe, captain of the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team and professional footballer for Arsenal Women’s Football Club.

Taking place on Tuesday 23rd February 2021 at 19:00 as part of GCN’s In & Out Festival 2021. The live interview with Katie is also the first in a new series of events that will focus on LGBTQ+ Women in Sport. Each event will feature LGBTQ+ female athletes talking openly and honestly about their personal experiences, including:

• the role sport played in growing up;

• attitudes among teammates and coaches;

• influence on mental and physical development;

• effect on sporting performance; and

• the coming out process.

The experienced broadcaster Anna Nolan will once again host the interview, taking Katie through her career and discussing the importance of football in her professional and personal life. 

Katie is a role model to a huge number of Irish and international fans and viewers also will have a unique opportunity during the live interview to ask their hero questions via the forum.

Karina Murray, Events Coordinator of Sporting Pride, says

“We are delighted to facilitate this webinar which will be the first of our series aimed at promoting the visibility of LGBTQ+ women in sport. Katie’s story will provide an insight into the mindset of an elite player at the height of her career and open discussion on how sport, and football in particular, can be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ athletes.”

To watch this free ground-breaking webinar, check GCN’s live streaming platforms below on Tuesday 23rd February at 19:00.

About the Panel 

Anna Nolan – Presenter / Basketball

Anna Nolan is a television producer, broadcaster and opinion columnist. She began her television career when she stepped inside the very first Big Brother house, back in 2000. From there she worked at the BBC for two years. She moved back to Ireland and worked on the RTE documentary series, “Would You Believe”. 

Over the last 20 years, she has produced some of the most-watched television programmes on Irish television, including Room to Improve, Operation Transformation and is now Head of Development at COCO Television.

Anna started playing basketball at the age of 13, representing her school, Loreto Crumlin, and club, Naomh Mhuire, in national and international tournaments. In 1989, Anna won the U19 National Cup with Naomh Mhuire, was named Tournament MVP and was called up to play with the first team, who went on to win the Senior Women’s National Cup that year.

Katie McCabe - Football

Katie McCabe is an Irish international football player who is currently the captain of the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team and professional football player for Arsenal Women’s Football Club. She made her senior international debut against Hungary at the Istria Cup in March 2015 and was player of the match on her competitive debut against Finland. She has also made over 100 appearances for Arsenal and continues to dominate at number 15 for her club.

In June of 2019 Katie came out as openly gay and acts as an out and proud role model for the LGBTQ+ community.

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+ sports people the opportunity to represent Ireland in international competitions.

Dublin Lesbian Line 

Dublin Lesbian Line is a confidential support helpline, operated by a group of enthusiastic female-identified (LGBTQ+) volunteers. Although this service is not currently operating due to Covid restrictions they have moved online with webinars and social inclusion events and are dedicated to providing rather excellent support to the LGBTQ+ community. Check out their website to discover more.

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 Dublin Pride 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.

This event is supported by the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund and The Community Foundation of Ireland.

LGBTQ+ Women in Sport Series

The second webinar focusing on LGBTQ+ Women in Sport will take place on Thursday 25th February 2021 at 19:00 and will feature representatives from a number of Dublin’s LGBTQ+ inclusive sports clubs - Pink Ladies Hockey, Phoenix Tigers Football Club, and Emerald Warriors Rugby Football Club. Sporting Pride’s Philippa Ryder will also join the discussion to add her perspective on the importance of female representation in sport.

Missed our event?

Check out the recording below

Sporting Pride, the association tasked with getting the LGBTQ+ community active, is hosting an online webinar in association with Athletics Ireland, entitled “Standing Proud: My Life as an Elite LGBT+ Marathon Runner with Aoife Cooke” at 8pm on Monday November 23rd.

The webinar which will be hosted by Anna Nolan, an experienced broadcaster who has played basketball at national level will detail the journey of National Marathon Champion Aoife Cooke and her personal experiences as an LGBT+ athlete, including:

• the role sport played in growing up;

• attitudes among club mates and coaches;

• influence on mental and physical development;

• effect on sporting performance; and

• the coming out process. 

Aoife Cooke – Athletics

Aoife Cooke is the current National Marathon Champion and the 5th fastest Irish women of all time over the 26.2 mile event. Aoife is a native of Cork represents her club of Eagle A.C. over a number of distances from 5km right up to the marathon. Aoife attended Arkansas Tech University on an athletics scholarship on the back of an impressive junior career which saw her represent Ireland at the Junior European Cross Country Championships in 2005.

Aoife is focused on retaining her National Marathon title in 2021 while also seeking to attain a qualifying time for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

 Aoife’s Personal Best Times:

• 5km: 16:26

• 10mile: 54:23

• Half Marathon: 74:40

• Marathon: 2:32:34

Sporting Achievements to date: 

• National Marathon Champion 2019 at the Dublin Marathon

• 5th Fastest Irish female in the Marathon

• National Novice (2016) and Intermediate (2017) XC champion

• Athletics Scholarship to Arkansas Tech University

• Represented Ireland in Euro XC as a junior in 2005

Interesting Fact: I spent 7 years out of the sport due to osteopenia and only returned to it 5 years ago. My first marathon was 3:15 so I have taken 43 minutes off my marathon time since coming back. 

 Any hobbies outside of athletics: I am part of the Drama group with LinC in Cork. LINC is a community resource centre for lesbians and bisexual women and their families in Cork and beyond.

Twitter: @cooke_aoife

Instagram: @aoifecookefitness

Proudly presented in association with Sporting Pride Ireland and Dublin LGBTQ Pride as part of Dublin Digital Pride for In and Out Festival, this special online webinar “Standing Proud in Irish Sport: My Life as an Elite LGBTQ+ Athlete”.

This special event will be hosted by Anna Nolan, an experienced broadcaster (who has played basketball at a national level) who'll be talking to Donal Óg Cusack, three-time All Ireland Hurling winner and the first elite Irish sportsman to come out as gay and Nikki Symmons, former hockey and cricket international and Ireland’s most capped team player in history.

Nikki and Donal will talk openly and honestly to Anna about their personal experiences, including:

• the role sport played in growing up;
• attitudes among teammates and coaches;
• influence on mental and physical development;
• effect on sporting performance; and
• the coming out process.

Our Health, Fitness & Wellbeing strand of In and Out Festival for June is being proudly supported by Life Style Sports.

If you would like to support GCN, click DONATE on the video, text "GCN" to 50300 to donate €4* or visit: https://bit.ly/gcnsprt20

*GCN will receive a minimum of €3.25 per text. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.