News

Addressing Homophobia in Sport: A Call to Action for the Canadian Sport Community

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), AthletesCAN, and Coaches of Canada are looking to you, as members of the Canadian sport community, to take a stance on addressing homophobia in sport as part of the Canadian-led International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on May 17th, 2010.

This year's IDAHO theme “Speaking about Silence: Homophobia in the Sports World” provides us with an opportunity to build on the success of the first ever PRIDE Houses in Vancouver and Whistler at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

So, whether you’re an individual or an organization, here are some easy ways you can break the silence and make Canadian sport more welcoming to sexual and gender diversity:

• Support (publicly or anonymously) IDAHO’s Declaration Against Any Form of Discrimination in the Sports World by clicking here
  
• Encourage athletes, coaches and other sport leaders to read Pat Griffin's excellent Chalk Talks, and her Action Guides for athletes, coaches, sport organizations and parents to make sport more welcoming.
  
• Speak out against homophobia when you see it happening in your sport.
  
• Have your sport organization order, display and distribute the free IDAHO campaign posters and pamphlets addressing homophobia in sport.
  
• Post IDAHO’s web-based promotional campaign material on your sport organization’s website during the campaign.
  
• Attend CAAWS’s Lunch and Learn on May 17th in Ottawa at the Rideau Tennis Club to watch the 60 minute film Training Rules which explores homophobia in women’s intercollegiate sport in the U.S. Register with Laura Spragge.
  
• Find out what other IDAHO activities are taking place and get involved on May 17th.
  
• Invite CAAWS to facilitate a session on addressing homophobia in sport with your organization by contacting Laura Spragge.
  
• Post a permanent button link on your website to CAAWS’ Addressing Homophobia in Sport Resources by contacting Laura Spragge.
  
• Distribute this Call to Action to your professional and personal sport networks. Download a PDF or Word doc.

AthletesCAN, Coaches of Canada, and CAAWS also welcome the opportunity to work with other leaders in the Canadian sport community to develop longer-term strategies to make sport more welcoming to sexual and gender diversity beyond May 17th, 2010.