UniSport Australia, the peak governing body of university sport in Australia, has become the newest member of the Australian Pride in Sport program, committing to further develop and enhance the inclusion of LGBTQ+ participation across the university sport scene.
ACON Health’s Pride in Sport program is the only sporting inclusion program specifically designed to assist National and State sporting organisations and clubs with the inclusion of employees, players, coaches, volunteers and spectators with diverse genders and sexualities.
Being a Pride in Sport member means changing practices and working towards a more inclusive, safe and healthy sporting environment for people with diverse sexualities and genders.
Mark Sinderberry, CEO of UniSport Australia, is excited about the opportunity that Pride in Sport Australia will play when helping promote positive messages and examples around LGBTQ inclusion.
“UniSport Australia is pleased to become a member of Pride in Sport. We look forward to improving our programs, events and opportunities to ensure they are more inclusive and accessible for all”, Sinderberry said.
Data from the Out on the Fields study showed that 80% of people have either witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport, with 75% believing that an openly gay person would not be safe as a spectator at a sporting event. Even more alarming is the data from the National LGBTI Health Alliance showing that LGBTI young people aged 16 to 27 are five times more likely to attempt suicide compared to the general population, with transgender people aged 18 and over nearly eleven times more likely.
Beau Newell, National Program Manager of Pride in Sport Australia, said actual and perceived social exclusion is a leading cause of preventable death in Australia, and creating a much healthier and safer sporting culture for LGBTI people has never been more important.
“By joining Pride in Sport and working with ACON, UniSport Australia is showing the community that they care about the health and wellbeing of their athletes, members, and University Sporting organisations across the country” Newell said.
“Congratulations to UniSport Australia for leading the way in changing Australia’s sporting culture, to be more inclusive.”
Pride in Sport is Australia’s first and only sexuality and gender diverse sporting inclusion program for the Australian sporting sector.
ABOUT THE PRIDE IN SPORT INDEX
The Pride in Sport Index (PSI) is an independently administered benchmarking system that provides the opportunity for all national and state sporting organisations to have their LGBTI related initiatives, programs and policies reviewed, measured and monitored. An initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Sports Commission and a legacy of the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 (the world cup of gay rugby), it was developed alongside an advisory group that includes representatives from the National Rugby League (NRL), the Australian Football League (AFL), the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), Football Federation Australia (FFA), Cricket Australia, Swimming Australia, Water Polo Australia, Basketball Australia and Golf Australia. For more information, visit the Pride in Sport website here.