Victorian sporting CEOs to make ‘Pledge of Pride’ for LGBTI inclusion
CEOs of Victorian, team-based sporting organisations are coming together to make a ‘Pledge of Pride’ to demonstrate commitment to making sport welcoming for all.
The Pledge of Pride, an initiative of Pride Cup Australia, demonstrates a sport鈥檚 commitment to welcoming all athletes, employees and volunteers, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity.
Pride Cup Australia and VicHealth will also launch the official Pride Cup Handbook on February 26, designed with the support of the Victorian government, St Kilda FC and NAB.
The Pride Cup Handbook is a resource to help sporting organisations and clubs create successful, inclusive and meaningful Pride Cups by providing case studies, tips and real-life scenarios.
This year, there are more than 30 sporting clubs registered with Pride Cup Australia, while Hockey Victoria have announced they will host Pride Cups in place of their existing 鈥淔air Go鈥� round to celebrate LGBTIQ inclusiveness.
Daniel Mioni, an LGBTIQ hockey player, said he welcomed the initiative because for men 鈥減laying sport has been seen as a heterosexual, masculine thing”.
鈥淢any LGBTIQ people still feel uneasy about playing in sport, with the perception that it鈥檚 not for them,鈥� Mioni said.
Mioni’s club had previously taken part in an anti-homophobia, transphobia and biphobia initiative, which had helped him talk to teammates about their use of language.
鈥淥ne of my teammates [recently] said 鈥榯hat鈥檚 so gay鈥� to our opponents in a game, and I said, 鈥榙on鈥檛 use gay as a negative term鈥�. He apologised and said it was a slip up. I think Pride Cup is all about enabling those conversations.鈥�
Hockey Victoria CEO Andrew Skillern emphasised that it was important LGBTIQ people feel safe playing hockey 鈥� and that the benefits of sport are accessible to all.
鈥淗ockey Victoria and our community has been a strong advocate for celebrating sexual and gender diversity for close to a decade. The collaboration with other codes is vital to ensure we all show what can be done by celebrating diversity together.鈥�
James Lolicato, Pride Cup Australia co-founder, said having state sporting organisations sign on to the Pledge of Pride showed the initiative had gone from strength to strength.
鈥淭he first Pride Cup was held in a small, local footy club, to show support for a much-loved teammate and friend, who also happened to be gay,鈥� Lolicato said.
鈥淪ince then, Pride Cups have been held in all corners of Victoria and beyond, with sporting clubs standing together proudly to say to the LGBTIQ community, 鈥榶ou are welcome here鈥�.
鈥淭he Handbook builds on this momentum, and is an essential tool for sporting clubs to access all of the 鈥榟ow to鈥� information to host a Pride Cup event, whether big or small.鈥�
Writing last year, Lolicato said that “by聽not being involved in P.E. or sport at a young age, young LGBTI+ people are missing out on the positive and long-lasting effects that come with participation in sport.”
VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said providing the Handbook to sporting clubs would make it easier for clubs and codes to host their own Pride Cup events.
鈥淲e are proud to partner with Pride Cup because we know that inclusion is fundamental to good health and wellbeing for everyone,鈥� Rechter said.
鈥淭hat sense of exclusion 鈥� from sport or society generally 鈥� has contributed to LGBTIQ+ people having some of the poorest mental health outcomes in Australia.
鈥淲e want to build a sports community in which LGBTIQ+ players and fans feel safe, respected and included 鈥� anytime, anywhere. We strongly encourage all sports clubs that want to send a message of inclusion to their community to host a Pride Cup.鈥�
For more information about Pride Cup Australia, visit:聽.
