Football, hockey, basketball, roller derby, kickball, water polo, ten-pin bowling, squash, swimming, boxing, running, wrestling and more – a variety of LGBTQIA+ sporting organisations are ready to kick goals, score points and break their participation records next year, officially joining the Sydney WorldPride festival.
Beloved organisations including Sydney Stingers and the Sydney Rams will join several new organisations going all-out with interstate and international championships hosted in Sydney, plus new events for a variety of skill levels. Sydney WorldPride has been able to support each of the sports organisations financially to help fund and elevate their plans for summer in 2023.
The sports events are one of many streams of activities in the Sydney WorldPride festival which will also include visual arts, literature, music, dance, digital arts, contemporary performance and more.
Each LGBTQIA+ sporting organisation has signed Sydney WorldPride’s Sports Inclusivity & Diversity Commitment, which aligns with the festival’s shared goal of creating trans-inclusive, accessible events and activities to welcome our community’s kaleidoscope of LGBTQIA+ identities, diverse backgrounds, and everyone, including people with disability.
Sydney WorldPride CEO Kate Wickett says she’s thrilled to see so many sporting organisations join the festival.
“Since we won our bid to bring WorldPride to Sydney, our local LGBTQIA+ sporting organisations have been among the most excited and engaged groups with our plans. We’re delighted to align and support each other as we get back out there, get active, and welcome the world to Sydney next year.”
NSW Minister for Tourism and Sport Stuart Ayres adds “whoever you are, where ever you’re from, whatever your ability, sport is all about getting out there and getting active. I’m so pleased to see Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ sporting organisations going from strength to strength and looking forward to welcoming visitors to our beautiful city for games during Sydney WorldPride.”
Pride in Sport Index co-founder Andrew Purchas OAM says he is very proud for Pride in Sport to be working alongside Sydney WorldPride for this momentous occasion and to help ensure all participating clubs are inclusive for all of our wonderful rainbow community.
“Sydney WorldPride is going to be an absolutely huge opportunity for our communities to showcase their sporting prowess to the world, as well as demonstrate the ability for sport in general to be an inclusive space for everyone,” he says.
“Pride in Sport is excited to be working with Sydney WorldPride to ensure that everyone is welcome to participate and excel in the sport they love, and to help place our rainbow sporting teams on the world map.”
Sydney WorldPride is taking over the city in February & March 2023.
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