LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Sport

University of Nottingham recognises how important it is that the LGBTQ+ community feel confident taking part in sport and physical activity and we’re proud to champion the #RainbowLaces movement.

Our students and staff talk about what LGBTQ+ inclusion means to them and how UoN Sport are striving to make all our activity as openly inclusive and welcoming as possible.

Transcript:
The rainbow laces campaign is incredibly important because there is still a prejudice against LGBT+ people in sport. The statistic is that two out of five people, or LGBT+ people, feel that sport is not welcoming for them, and that isn’t okay. Here at UoN sport we aspire to be the leading HE University for both disability and inclusion sport. We know we have a key role to play in contributing towards the wider University’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategic plan. We’re supporting the rainbow laces campaign. It’s about showing that you care, it’s about trying to kick out anti LGBT language within sport and celebrating LGBT+ athletes within sport as well. For instance, people would say the word ‘gay’ or when you did something wrong, people would use the word ‘gay’ as in insult to mean that you were inferior than the others, and this in turn made me feel like I was inferior too and that I didn’t want to associate myself with that label. We are inclusive, we’ve got lots of our sports teams, our staff members, and our IMS teams wearing the laces today. So our campaign has gone wide throughout the University, and we’re trying to show that sport is inclusive and that it’s a safe space for everyone. We understand the value and the impact that engaging in sport and physical activity has to play on creating an environment that is a rich EDI culture, that encourages all students to feel happy, safe and themselves, be that on or off the pitch. The main impact that I’d like to have with this campaign is to show people that being gay is okay and this is something that you should be proud of. Sport and physical activity should be a community and it should be a community that welcomes all. How are you supposed to bring your best self to your sport if you don’t feel welcomed, included and visible? That’s exactly what the rainbow laces campaign hopes to achieve.