A biennial sports conference on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sports will take place in Stirling on October 30.
The ‘Moving to LGBTQI+ Inclusion Conference’ hosted by Leadership, Equality and Active Participation in Sports for LGBTQI+ people in Scotland (LEAP Scotland) highlights the organisation’s mission to make sports more inclusive across Scotland. Attendees can expect to see new research being presented alongside workshops and spaces for collaboration.
While the conference schedule has not yet been finalised, delegates can expect sessions on the following topics:
- LGBTQI+ inclusion in sport and how to make that a reality
- What does the data say? A session on available data on LGBTQI+ people and how we might be able to use it.
- Good practice from the sector on LGBTQI+ inclusion in sport
- Leisure Trust Accelerator programme learning and implementation as influenced by the LGBTQI+ Health Needs Assessment
- New research on topics such as Physical Education and school sport, Bi and Pan people’s experiences in sport
The conference’s Eventbrite page also highlights that they expect to cover topics such as barriers to participation, sustainability in sport, physical activity and public health, sports policy, sport and human rights, athlete wellbeing, major events and good practice segments.
“Leap’s conference is always a great opportunity to bring the LGBTQI+ and sporting sectors together,” says Andrew Henderson, bisexual sports journalist and creator of Pride of the Terraces.
“The benefits of sport physically, mentally and socially are well documented,” he continues, “but LGBTQI+ have lower rates of participation than the general population which means they miss out.
“Conferences like these are a chance for traditional sporting spaces to learn how to be more inclusive to LGBTQI+ people and engage directly with the community, and vice versa.
“With Stirling being Scotland’s university of sporting excellence, and home to the Scottish Institute of Sport, it’s the perfect place to host the 2024 conference.”
LEAP Sports Scotland are an organisation which campaigns for greater inclusion and equality in sports across Scotland. They also work against homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination that queer sportspeople experience when attempting to participate.
With this conference, they aim to bring the latest thinking and understanding in how to break down systemic barriers that limit LGBTQI+ inclusion in sports to a wider audience, including sports governing bodies and people who run sports clubs and associations. The conference offers concession tickets for £15 and would be a great opportunity for any Stirling University sports club committee members who want to ensure their clubs are welcoming and safe for LGBTQI+ sportspeople.
Image Credit leapsports.org
Student journalist & freelance writer. Check out Quick Play, where I review video games that are 10 hours or less.
