Sports Clubs liberation@eusa.ed.ac.uk Liberation Campaigns These - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Inclusive Sports Clubs

liberation@eusa.ed.ac.uk

Liberation Campaigns

Elliot - Trans and Non-Binary Officer Meyra - BME Officer Martha - Women’s Officer Ellen - Disabled Students’ Officer Rosie - LGBT+ Officer

“These campaigns exist to create a space where self-defining students can come together, discuss the issues affecting them, and campaign to improve their student experience.”

What does inclusion feel like in sport?

Helpful info from Stonewall - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/how-be-inclusive-sports-club

Common Barriers to Inclusion

• Physical Barriers to accessibility

○ The Disabled Student’s Campaign and Officer ○ Going beyond compliance and above perceptions

• Non-physical barriers

○ Mental health ○ Mental illness ○ Student wellbeing and mental health services

Common Barriers to Inclusion

• LGBT+ discrimination in sport

○ Includes (but not limited to) homophobia, biphobia, queerphobia, transphobia ○ 2019 EU-wide study shows 90% consider homophobia and transphobia are a problem in sport ○ 82% have witnessed homophobic or transphobia behaviour ○ More information from Out for Sport

• How visible is your inclusivity? How welcome

to LGBT+ people feel?

Trans and Nonbinary People in Sport

• For casual and social clubs, medical transition shouldn’t make a difference

○ Players should be allowed to take part based on their gender identity

○ They should not be asked details about their gender reassignment status or legal gender

• If you have insurance for a potentially dangerous contact sport that would

usually be anticipated to involve single-gender teams, trans and nonbinary people may not be automatically covered

○ Seek clarification from your insurer ○ If you have trouble, contact the Scottish Trans Alliance for support

• Nationally and Internationally competitive teams may have different rules

○ Unfortunately, every page on the BUCS website about this is a 404 error ○ Often players are required to undergo a certain level of transition in order to compete

Trans and Nonbinary 101

Trans and Nonbinary 101

• Transgender - Someone who does not identify with the gender they were

assigned at birth

• Nonbinary - Someone who does not identify as male or female
• Pronouns - She/her, they/them, ze/zir, ect.

If all else fails, be respectful Trans and nonbinary people just want to live their lives

Making Positive Changes

• First - consider what is motivating your actions

○ Are you speaking FOR a group, or have you worked WITH them? ○ What positive effect will this change have?

• Challenge language and culture

○ Hold people - even leaders - accountable ○ What language does your club use?

• Be aware and approachable

○ Accept feedback (and criticism)

• Show you value diversity

○ Wear rainbow laces ○ Make people aware of any ways you can help them to participate ○ Be clear that everyone is welcome

Making Positive Changes (Elliot’s slide)

• Be explicit about inclusivity

○ Anywhere you can ○ Even if you don’t think there are any LGBT+ people in the room

• Consider why things are done the way they are

○ What are the other possibilities? ○ Why don’t you do things that way? ○ Would making a change be beneficial to anyone?

• Consider things from others’ point of view

○ The lib team are happy to answer questions or provide perspectives!

Sharing Ideas and Outcomes

• Your most valuable resource is the people around you
• Sharing ideas and concerns helps to build positive relationships and increase

awareness

• What positive actions have your clubs taken?
• What was the response?
• What would you like to try and what do you need to do it?

As Officers we are more than happy to speak to sports clubs and groups about the different needs of marginalised groups, put you into touch with particular people, or reach out to the communities we are elected by for input and feedback.