Earlier this year British Athletics and British Swimming set up their first LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans) networks – communities that are inclusive to all and open to all levels from grassroots to elite.
In April, British Athletics’ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, headed up by former World, European and Commonwealth medallist Donna Fraser, collaborated with LGBTQ+ people and allies across the Athletics Family to launch the Athletics Pride Network (APN). With the aim to raise awareness and visibility of LGBTQ+ people and issues in the sport and creating an environment which is open and inclusive for everyone.
Ethan Akanni is one of the original founders of the APN and has represented GB&NI at junior level on the track and recently won bronze at the British Athletics Indoor Championships in the 60m hurdles.
He said: “In my opinion, pride networks such as the APN are extremely important. It helps people who are in the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome and included in their sport. There is a large number of LGBTQ+ people who avoid sport due to stereotypes or because of homophobic, biphobic or transphobic comments made by fans or even athletes.
“However, having pride networks provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ sportspeople to come, talk, meet others and be there for each other. It helps to bring together people from many different walks of life and allows people to hear the perspectives of others.
“For me personally, it has helped me not only become confident enough to come out openly in my sport, but it has helped me feel fully included in athletics too. For example, my club Bexley AC has since added a welfare and diversity page where they not only talk about the Athletics Pride Network, but they talk about my role as a core member and have links to the website. This seems like a little thing to the average person but if I had seen this eight years ago when I first joined, it would have helped me realise even sooner that this was the club for me.
“I think it’s important for all sports to have a pride network to help bring together every fan, coach, participant or associate of sport. This is only the beginning but I’m excited to see what’s in store!”
For more information about the Athletics Pride Network click here and you can follow them on twitter.
Following on from the launch of Athletics Pride Network, in August British Swimming launched their own network, Pride in Water – a network group for LGBTQ+ people and allies across all aquatic sports.
Pride in Water is for everyone at any level of their aquatic journey. The network is about giving anyone within aquatics the opportunity to provide safe and inclusive environments for all, and in a bespoke manner that fits the worlds of swimming, para-swimming, diving, artistic swimming, water polo and high diving.
Founder Josh Rudd works for the English Institute of Sport (EIS) as a Performance Lifestyle Advisor within British Swimming and he believes the impact of global events over the past year propelled the movement in Pride in Water and its success.
“The most common reaction was people assuming that a group like this already exists,” he said.
“Elite sport can be an isolating environment and having a network for people to come together and share another common thread, can be massive.
“If an athlete is fully comfortable with their own self, inside and outside of the pool – that means that is one less thing for them to worry about.
“The big thing for me was around visibility. Research found that athletes migrate to not the job role but if the staff is relatable to them. There is a need for allyships and people outwardly showing this.
“How a practitioner may show how to be more inclusive for instance is by wearing a rainbow lanyard or laces. It says to athletes they are approachable and understanding to the LGBTQ + community for them knowing they are in a safe environment to be themselves.”
The role of the performance lifestyle advisor within a sport is to support the well-being of athletes and to encourage and facilitate their personal and professional development, alongside their sporting careers.
Rudd added: “If a young athlete is transitioning into the senior system that can be a big change for them, they need to feel they can be there whole self otherwise this is adding another concern for them in their training environment.”
For more information about Pride in Water click here and you can follow them on twitter.