LGBTIQ+ Inclusion in Sport
What does LGBTIQ+ mean?
L – A lesbian woman is romantically and/or sexually attracted to other women.
G – A gay person is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of the same sex and/or gender as themselves. This term is often used to describe men who are attracted to other men, but some women and gender diverse people may describe themselves as gay.
B – A bisexual person is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of their own gender and other genders.
T – A trans (short for transgender) person is someone whose gender does not exclusively align with the one they were assigned at birth.
I – An intersex person is born with atypical natural variations to physical or biological sex characteristics such as variations in chromosomes, hormones or anatomy.
Q – Queer is often used as an umbrella term for diverse genders or sexualities. Some people use queer to describe their own gender and/or sexuality if other terms do not fit.
For a full Inclusive Language Guide, please click here
Why is LGBTIQ+ inclusion in sport important?
- Just over 10% of the Australian population openly identifies as part of the LGBTIQ+ community.
- More than half of all transgender people, a quarter of males and 10% of females, avoided playing sports they would like to play because of their sexuality or gender identity.
- 80% of all sports participants in Australia have experienced or witnessed discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
- Nearly half of all sports participants aren’t out as sexually or gender diverse to their sporting peers.
How can our club engage the LGBTIQ+ community?
- Celebrate inclusion with LGBTIQ+ events
- Take a no-tolerance approach to discrimination at your club and enforce policies to back this up
- Invite the community into your club by ensuring inclusive language and inclusion of the pride flag.
- Explore and promote mix-gendered participation opportunities.
- Support key dates for the LGBTIQ+ community on your social media channels, website, at games, events, etc.
More information
For resources and more information, please visit our Inclusive Clubs resources page by clicking here.