Hockey Australia releases inclusion position statement
Fittingly during Pride Month, Hockey Australia (HA) has reaffirmed its standing and reputation as one of the country’s most inclusive sports with the publication of an inclusion position statement.
The Hockey Australia Board endorsed the statement which was developed with the support of Pride in Sport, Australia’s first and only sporting inclusion program specifically designed to assist National and State sporting organisations and clubs with the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) employees, players, volunteers and spectators.
Hockey Australia’s inclusion position statement can be found here.
Proud of hockey’s stance on inclusion, Hockey Australia CEO Matt Favier says there is a determination to continue making inroads in this area.
“Pride Month is an ideal time to promote our partnership with Pride in Sport and reinforce inclusion and why it is one of Hockey Australia’s core values,” said Favier.
“A visible inclusion position statement that clearly spells out our commitment of hockey being a game for everyone is an important step in making Hockey Australia more inclusive.”
“We look forward to finalising and releasing our Inclusion Policy in the near future.”
Further to publicly emphasising an importance on inclusion, HA intends to increase its standing in the Pride of Sport Index™, a benchmarking instrument specifically designed to assess the inclusion of LGBTI people within Australian sporting organisations.
According to research released by Out on the Fields, 80% of participants have witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport, while sport is also considered hostile and unwelcoming to young people with diverse sexualities and genders. These findings are something Hockey Australia is resolute in eradicating from hockey and society more broadly.
“Hockey Australia is showing the community that they care about the health and wellbeing of their players and members through their connection with Pride in Sport,” said Pride in Sport National Program Manager, Beau Newell.
“LGBTQ inclusion is essential and critical work that all sporting organisations must be doing because we are all diverse by default. By not focusing on and/or boosting diversity and inclusion work, sporting organisations are saying that their members, volunteers, supporters and indeed its workforce are not essential.”
As part of this ongoing ambition, HA has dedicated to holding staff training and education on LGBTQ Awareness to be delivered by Pride in Sport.
Pride Month is held in June each year to honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States which is recognised across the world. #Pride2020
For more information about Pride in Sport visit www.prideinsport.com.au
