Brimming with Pride
The first of June marks the beginning of Pride Month in Australia. Sport Integrity Australia is committed to making sport inclusive for all.
Throughout Pride Month, Sport Integrity Australia are participating in initiatives and celebrations to promote inclusivity for all, but especially those within the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Month Origins
The commemorative month of awareness dates back to June 1969 when a police raid in New York City triggered wide-scale protests against sexual minority persecution, known as the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots marked the beginning of modern LGBTQI+ rights globally.
SIA’s Initiatives
Pride Workshop
In July 2023 Sport Integrity Australia announced it had signed on to be a member of the Australian Pride in Sport program, committing to further develop and enhance the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people.
Most recently Sport Integrity Australia took part in a Pride workshop hosted by Pride in Sport. The workshop was aimed at further solidifying inclusive practices within the agency now and into the future.
Pride in Sport National Program Manager Beau Newell says that a consistent and conscious effort is crucial for any organisation that is seeking to prioritise inclusivity in the workplace and a great place to start creating awareness is through education.
“As the workshop leader, I was impressed by all the enthusiasm and eagerness to keep learning,” Mr Newell says.
“The engagement and willingness to participate actively on the part of all the participants was very encouraging.
“While education is an important step, it alone does not constitute a sincere commitment to inclusivity. The next steps for SIA involve enhancing their presence in the inclusion space, guided by the Pride in Sport Index. This will help them move forward with a clearer strategy and stronger commitment.
“If SIA continues to enhance their efforts and work towards achieving organisation-wide buy-in to inclusive practices, they are well on their way to becoming leaders in this space.
“Their ongoing commitment and proactive approach will be crucial in shaping a more inclusive future.”
Integrity Complaints Investigator Elizabeth Silvester says the session was an important reminder that the smallest changes can make the world of difference to those from marginalized communities.
“Everyone can be an ally, as any effort, large or small is enough to show support for the LGBTQI+ community,” Ms Silvester says.
“Being conscious of our language with others helps form positive environments. The way we address people can be a major factor in creating inclusive spaces.
“The depth of detail Beau gave us was valuable to understand why allies are important and the practical examples provided of how we can all show allyship in our everyday.
“Although we have come a long way with LGBTQI+ inclusion in sport, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure all people feel safe, included and welcome in Australia’s sporting landscape.”
Email footers
A special Pride Month banner has been designed in partnership with Pride in Sport and will be displayed during the month of June.
Our agency is proud (pun very much intended) to display our support of people from all backgrounds and our commitment to inclusivity across our communications.
Lunches
Teams throughout the agency will be hosting their own internal Pride Month initiatives.
As an issue close to their hearts, Sport Integrity Australia’s Integrity Complaints team has kicked things off with their own Pride Colour lunch.
Integrity Complaints Director Brenna Dodds explains that her team sees first-hand how important tolerance and inclusivity is for all in a sport setting, the team reflected on what Pride Month means in the integrity space.
“In the complaints space we see the toll that the lack of inclusivity can have on an individual, their self-esteem, their community and even their athletic performance,” Ms Dodds says.
“Our team and agency fundamentally believe in creating real and positive change in sport and we are happy to be leaders in this space, celebrating who we are on and off the sporting fields.”
Why it’s important
Sport Integrity Australia believes that sport has the ability to shape and inform our wider cultural attitudes and beliefs. As a leader in this space, our agency will continue to promote issues and initiatives that create sports and environments where we can all feel accepted.
