Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual participation in sport
Through the Vision for Sport in Wales we have set out
that we want every child to experience the positive benefits that
participating in sport brings.
It is vital that every child, and indeed adult, is confident
that they can access high quality sporting opportunities.
Much research is already carried out by Sport Wales to track
trends in participation, perceptions and opinions - both for young
people and adults.
In the
summer of 2012, in partnership with Stonewall Cymru, we invited lesbian, gay and
bisexual individuals living in Wales to share their views about
sport by taking part in focus groups, semi-structured interviews or
completing an online survey.
It reveals that whilst many lesbian, gay and bisexual people are
interested in sport, they have also been put off by negative
experiences or the perception that it is an unpleasant and unsafe
environment for gay people.
If these issues are not addressed, we risk excluding and not
inspiring, a generation of people from the many benefits offered by
taking part in sports. The message is clear: those involved
in the running of sport must do more to show their commitment to
tackling homophobia and encouraging gay people to take part in
sport.
Read the full report
To find out more about the findings of the report and the
recommendations put forward download the full report here.
LGBT Sport Network
On the back of the report, we are developing a formal network to
drive LGBT work associated with sport in Wales. You can find
out more about the work of the group here and if you would like to
be a member of this network please contact LGBT@sportwales.org.uk.
The closing date for expressions of interest is January 4th
2013.
Blogs
We have developed a range of blogs and postcards which can be
downloaded on the right hand side of this page.