At Melbourne University Sport, we believe that sport is for everybody.
10 July 2019, Chris Bunting
In 2018 we began to actively work towards this vision, and we made a formal commitment to ensure we provide an inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ identifying people across all that we consider Sport. This included the implementation of our Pride in Sport program, appointed a Pride and Diversity Coordinator to lead the program, and became the first University Sport signatories to ACON’s Pride in Sport program.
For our work throughout 2018, we were honoured to receive the award for the overall highest ranking organisation for LGBTQIA+ inclusion at ACON’s Pride in Sport awards, which we shared with Tennis Australia.
This award is an opportunity to reflect upon our achievements in 2018, and to appreciate the efforts of our sporting clubs who have helped to champion the message of inclusivity in sport. Across the year, it was fantastic to see clubs including Soccer and Basketball run their first Pride rounds to help drive an inclusive culture within their sports. Other clubs continued to uphold their commitment to champion inclusion in sport, such as the Melbourne University Football Club who’s commitment dates back to their pioneering “Gay? That’s Okay” initiative from 2015.
However, in receiving this award, we recognise that this is only the beginning.
We are releasing our updated Pride in Sport video to reaffirm our ongoing commitment to imbedding inclusion across the entirety of sport at the University. As we move forward, we will be enacting our stance of respecting diverse gender identities, focusing on best inclusion practices so that all people can partake in our sporting competitions. We will also be formalising our zero-tolerance stance against homophobia and transphobia, and working to further drive a culture in which discrimination ceases to exist.
We are excited to see more of our affiliated clubs join us in this journey, with clubs such as the Athletics Club affirming to respect diversity within their club and create a culture of inclusivity.
We hope that all people feel welcomed to Sport at the University, and we encourage everybody to get involved.