Organisational policies and practices

Welcoming and inclusive organisations play a key role in engaging and maintaining participation of LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities in sport and can benefit everyone irrespective of their gender or sexuality. ^{2, 14, 15, 18, 25, 77, 78, 121}

However, research suggests there is often both passive and active resistance from existing members, and especially those in governance roles, to change. ^{4, 14, 34, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83}

Even when policies exist, they are often not actively promoted or enforced. ^{53, 65} At least two Australian studies – one in South Australia and one looking at cricket – have found that participants at all levels of sport were only vaguely aware of their organisation’s inclusion policies, or how discriminatory behaviours should be reported or handled. ^{14, 53}

In a 2016 consensus statement the International Olympic Committee (IOC) identified LGBT athletes as a group at high risk of harassment and abuse in sport. It also recommended a systematic approach to prevention, involving athletes, sport managers, medical and therapeutic practitioners, educators, and criminal justice agencies. ⁶¹

Inclusion, I think the best way to put it is that I don't have to advocate like, policies are already put in place, I don't have to push for them, I don't have to think about these things. They... someone's already done it, it's already been organized. I just get to exist and be me in a space. A young person quoted in ‘Free to Exist’, Swinburne University for VicHealth, (2024)

Suggestions for practice

Various reports and guidelines provide recommendations and suggestions for ways that sports organisations can improve the involvement and experience of LGBTIQ+ participants, which includes athletes, volunteers, officials, staff, fans, spectators, and others like parents.

• Having clearly established and enforced policies and guidelines for inclusion and against discrimination (codes of conduct, anti-bullying, ban on homo/bi/transphobic language, equal opportunities for all). ^{10, 17, 72, 76, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88}
• Consulting with LGBTIQ+ participants and communities on the policies, procedures, or issues that affect them (e.g. language, inclusion, uniforms).  ^{10, 85, 90}
• Providing ongoing education and training for managers, staff, coaches, and officials (paid and volunteer) on inclusion and being an ally. ^{2, 10, 15, 18, 19, 67, 76, 85, 88, 89}
• Engaging in programs that can help educate and sensitise other participants, such as parents, peers, and spectators on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, using appropriate language, and creating environments where everyone feels safe and supported to participate (e.g. Pride Cups). ^{2, 4, 84, 89}
• Ensuring appropriate facilities and uniform options are available for athletes, volunteers, and staff (including gender-neutral options), and that participants are allowed to choose which are most comfortable for them. ^{10, 17, 72, 84, 85, 86}
• Authentic, clear, and visible signs of active allyship, (for example pride flags or rounds supported by clear inclusion policies and procedures – not just putting a flag up somewhere). ^{2, 3, 76, 85, 86}
• Recruit, support, and promote people with diverse identities at all levels, as athletes, fans, in paid and volunteer roles. ^{15, 17, 18, 85, 90}
• Respecting names and pronouns and consider adopting non-gendered terms on documentation, e.g. allowing individuals to identify various genders, using neutral parent or guardian (not mother/father) for junior sports. ^{17, 27, 72, 85, 89, 91}

Authenticity

Authenticity – backing words and symbolism with sustained and credible actions and commitment – is an important element of engaging LGBTIQ+ communities. People are less likely to support an organisation, or their events and activities, when they perceive them as being inauthentic, and may disengage entirely. ^{2, 3, 4}

The ways in which organisations engage in inclusion activities, e.g. Pride rounds or ‘rainbow’ merchandise, can sometimes be perceived as inauthentic, tokenistic, or marketing (rainbow washing), rather than true inclusion. This occurs most frequently when these activities are not supported by other long-term strategies and actions such as enacting and enforcing policies, for example, actively targeting homo/bi/transphobic language and behaviours of players, spectators, fans, and others in the sporting community. ^{2, 4, 34, 65, 79, 80, 92, 93, 94}

A 2021 review of LGBTQ+ discrimination and exclusion in sport highlighted that although many professional sports – such as the National Hockey League (NHL) or the Australian Football League (AFL) – have widely publicised pride games this often doesn’t lead to significant change. Despite hosting pride games for over ten years homophobic language in ice hockey remains common and generally unsanctioned by officials. This suggests a disconnect between rhetoric and action and raises the question about how authentic the inclusion actions are. ³⁴

Inclusion in sport is often driven by ad-hoc activities and individual champions (short-term programs or once off activities potentially supported by a one-off grant). Long-term change requires systematic leadership and guidance, rather than a piecemeal approach with individual clubs and organisations developing their own strategies, often with limited knowledge and resources. ^{2, 14, 37, 53, 65, 67, 72, 82, 94, 95, 96, 97}

Resources and reading