Tag: LGBT horse racing

Racing Is Everyone’s Sport 2021: ‘I Just Hope That Everyone Coming Into Racing Now Can Feel Comfortable’

Launched by Great British Racing last year and the sport's Racing with Pride network, Racing Is Everyone's Sport aims to encourage and welcome LGBT+ participation in the sport of horseracing, bringing the racing community together to champion inclusion for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.

As part of this year's Racing Is Everyone's Sport campaign, Great British Racing brought together current jockeys and friends, Jack Duern and Josephine Gordon, to discuss Jack's experience of coming out in 2013 and the importance of allyship for the LGBT+ community.

Jockey Jack Duern (pronouns: he/him) said: “Racing has definitely come a long way since I came out in 2013. I'm proud to be the first openly gay jockey in Europe, and also proud of the racing community for accepting me for who I am and for welcoming me back into the sport.

“I'm determined to use my platform, and as an ambassador for Racing With Pride, to show other LGBT+ people, both in and out of racing, that they are not alone and that racing is everyone's sport.”

Additionally, on Saturday, Dec. 4, Racing is Everyone's Sport will also encourage and welcome LGBT+ participation in the sport of horseracing through a series of activities at racecourses across the UK that day – Sandown Park, Aintree, Chepstow, Wolverhampton and Wetherby.

Rainbow saddle cloths, kindly organized by sponsors the Kindred group (through its Unibet brand), Betfair and Betway, will be worn for a number of races across the day, including the Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown, the Unibet Becher Chase at Aintree and The Betway Handicap stakes at Wolverhampton.

Jockeys at the four meetings will once again be encouraged to wear rainbow armbands and rainbow pin badges will be given out freely to racecourse staff and spectators to show their support and spark conversation.

Erin Williams, Sport Engagement Manager at Stonewall (they/them and she/her) said: “We're delighted that Great British Racing is continuing their support for Rainbow Laces this year, joining millions of people around the world who are committed to promoting LGBT+ inclusion in sport and fitness.

The post Racing Is Everyone’s Sport 2021: ‘I Just Hope That Everyone Coming Into Racing Now Can Feel Comfortable’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

BHA Launches Racing With Pride To Improve Support, Awareness, Engagement of LGBT+ In Sport

Racing With Pride, the official LGBT+ network for British racing, has today been launched by the sport's Diversity in Racing Steering Group (DiRSG).

The network is designed for British racing's participants, workforce and fans who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBT+) as well as allies of the LGBT+ community who want to demonstrate their support, regardless of their own identity. It will aim to:

  • Support: offer a safe space for LGBT+ people and allies to meet, receive support, have fun and enjoy racing online and in person.
  • Awareness: promote a better understanding of LGBT+ inclusion to ensure racing is everyone's sport, encouraging all to step up as allies.
  • Engagement: provide a platform for the sport's LGBT+ community to have a collective voice in shaping the industry's future LGBT+ activity.

It is an increasingly challenging time for many in racing and this can be exaggerated for minority groups. Racing With Pride aims to be a community in which people can find support and camaraderie, as well as influence social change and promote a diverse and fully inclusive industry. Everyone who identifies as LGBT+ should feel able to be their true selves without fear of discrimination.

The network has been created and launched by the DiRSG's dedicated LGBT+ sub-group, with the aim that it is for and led by its members. It will be based primarily on social media with a secure Facebook group acting as a safe space for members to meet and interact, with plans to host a range of events in the future. Updates will also be available via the Racing With Pride Twitter account.

It is hoped the network will act as a platform for shaping future activity, for example racing joining Stonewall's Rainbow Laces activity in November.

To help organizations across racing support and promote the network, a “Rainbow Ready for Racing” toolkit has been developed in collaboration with existing group Sports Media LGBT+ to assist in communicating about LGBT+ inclusion.

Broadcaster Clare Balding, speaking in support of the launch, said:

“Racing is trying hard to embrace a wider audience and to make its own diverse work force feel confident and comfortable. This platform is a welcome innovation and I hope will encourage more LGBT people already in racing to feel appreciated and supported.

“As for those who have yet to discover the beauty of racehorses and the fun of a race day, I look forward to when we can celebrate with the first Pride Racing Festival which will no doubt have a carnival atmosphere!”

Rose Grissell, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the British Horseracing Authority, said:

“Given the recent coronavirus pandemic, many of us have experienced increased feelings of isolation and loneliness over the past few months, and research shows that these feelings and associated mental health issues are heightened within the LGBT+ community.

“We recognize this additional vulnerability and believe now is the right time to ensure racing's LGBT+ participants and fans feel included and valued.

“Racing With Pride has been developed following recent research in the sport which indicated many individuals who identified as a sexual minority did not feel comfortable 'coming out' at work, despite largely positive attitudes towards sexual minority individuals throughout the sport.

“We hope to create a fun and fully inclusive community by providing a safe space for members to come together and share their experiences and to show that British racing understands the need for everyone involved in the industry to feel welcome.”

The post BHA Launches Racing With Pride To Improve Support, Awareness, Engagement of LGBT+ In Sport appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights