Little Athletics Australia has become the newest member of the Australian Pride in Sport program, committing to further develop and enhance the inclusion of LGBTQ people.

ACON Health’s Pride in Sport program is the only sporting inclusion program specifically designed to assist sporting organisations with the inclusion of employees, athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and spectators with diverse genders and sexualities.

Being a Pride in Sport member means changing practices and working towards a more inclusive, safe, and healthy sporting environment for people with diverse sexualities and genders.

Andrew Johnston, General Manager Operations of Little Athletics Australia, is excited about the opportunity that Pride in Sport will play when helping promote positive messages and examples around LGBTQ inclusion for sport and recreation programs at Little Athletics Australia.

“Little Athletics Australia is pleased to have partnered with Pride in Sport. We aim to further our inclusive practices so that everyone feels welcome”, Johnston said.

Data from the 2020 PSI National Survey showed that just 44% of LGBTQ people felt mentally well within their sport, with 44% of people who are not an active LGBTQ Ally saying they were too busy to be engaged in individual activities.

Data from the Out on the Fields study showed that 80% of people have either witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport, with 75% believing that an openly gay person would not be safe as a spectator at a sporting event.

Data from the LGBTIQ+ Health Australia showing that LGBTQ young people aged 16 to 27 are five times more likely to attempt suicide compared to the general population, with transgender people aged 18 and over nearly eleven times more likely.

Beau Newell, National Program Manager of Pride in Sport Australia, said actual and perceived social exclusion is a leading cause of preventable death in Australia, and creating a much healthier and safer sporting culture for LGBTQ people has never been more important.

“By joining Pride in Sport and working with ACON, Little Athletics Australia is showing the community that they care about the health and wellbeing of their athletes, and members across the nation” Newell said.

“Congratulations to Little Athletics Australia for leading the way in changing Australia’s sporting culture, to be more inclusive.”

Pride in Sport is Australia’s first and only sexuality and gender diverse sporting inclusion program for the Australian sporting sector.

ABOUT PRIDE IN SPORT
Pride in Sport is a national not-for-profit program that assists sporting organisations and clubs with the inclusion of LGBTQ employees, athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and spectators. It is part of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, which provides a range of services to employers, sporting organisations and service providers with support in all aspects of LGBTQ inclusion. All funds generated through membership and ticketed events go back into the work of Pride in Sport, actively working alongside sporting organisations, clubs and participants to make Australian sport inclusive of LGBTQ communities. For more information, visit the Pride Inclusion Programs website here.

ABOUT THE PRIDE IN SPORT INDEX
The Pride in Sport Index (PSI) is an independently administered benchmarking system that provides the opportunity for all national and state sporting organisations to have their LGBTQ related initiatives, programs and policies reviewed, measured and monitored. An initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Sports Commission and a legacy of the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 (the world cup of gay rugby), it was developed alongside an advisory group that includes representatives from the National Rugby League (NRL), the Australian Football League (AFL), the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), Football Federation Australia (FFA), Cricket Australia, Swimming Australia, Water Polo Australia, Basketball Australia and Golf Australia. For more information, visit the Pride in Sport website here.

ACON / Pride in Sport Media Contact:
David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications
E: dalexander@acon.org.au
T: (02) 9206 2044
M: 0428 477 042

Little Athletics Australia Media Contact:
Laura McGrane, Media Coordinator
E: laura.mcgrane@athletics.org.au
M: 0400 134 814