2021 Pride Month Campaign
Curtesy of SBS Sport and Pride in Sport
During this year’s Pride Month, Pride in Sport has partnered with SBS Sport to showcase some of Australia’s most amazing LGBTQ athletes, from a range of sporting codes.
This was also highlighted during SBS’s Cycling Central coverage of the Tour de France, with a dedicated ‘Pride Stage’.
Tonight we promote Pride ? ?
“we see Pride rounds in other sports and I think that really brings a lot of awareness and welcoming and inclusivity” @gracieelvin@PrideinSportAU #PRIDE #couchpeloton #sbstdfhttps://t.co/k3p12UyHmI pic.twitter.com/UUMRkewBg4— CyclingCentral (@CyclingCentral) June 29, 2021
The video series celebrates LGBTQ athletes and highlights the importance of LGBTQ inclusion in sport.
The athletes are sharing the message that sport has so much to offer and participation in sport is a fundamental human right, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
With four episodes currently released and more to come throughout June, audiences can hear about the athletes’ experiences and how we can all champion LGBTQ inclusion in sport.
Ian Roberts (he/him)
Rugby League
“Sport’s about being a part of something bigger, much bigger than yourself.”
Roberts played for a number of clubs in the NRL (National Rugby League) during the 1980s and 1990s, making history in 1995 when he became the first high-profile Australian sports person to come out as gay, and has led discussion of inclusion in sport for LGBTQ athletes since doing so.
Ricki Coughlan (she/her)
Running
“Making sport a more welcoming place and creating an inclusive and diverse environment makes our society a more welcoming, inclusive and diverse environment.”
A middle-distance runner, who competed at club and state level in 800 and 1,500 metre events, Ricki is widely recognised within the sporting industry as one of the world’s first transgender athletes.
Two of her big passions are running and helping other people become their own champion through performance running, fitness and personal development.
Matt Cecchin (he/him)
Rugby League
“We need more allies, we need more role models, we need more high-profile players to come out and be proud of who they are and lead the way.”
A decorated referee, who has officiated matches at the sport’s highest level such as the NRL grand final and State of Origin, as well as the rugby league World Cup, Cecchin was 11 years into his career before he came out, becoming the first professional in the sport to do so since Roberts in 1995.
Stella Lesic (they/them)
Basketball
“Sport is such an integral part of feeling like you belong and that you’re included.”
The President and Founder of Australia’s first LGBTQ basketball and roller-skating club, Queer Sporting Alliance, Stella is at the forefront of shaking up the way society views gender diversity in sport and working towards breaking down the stereotypes that continue to limit inclusion and participation.
Simon Dunn (he/him)
Former bobsledder and rugby player
“Sport has always promoted itself as being for everybody and we can all agree that history often proves otherwise.”
Dunn was the first openly gay man to represent Australia in bobsledding and is now a personal trainer and occasional rugby player for the Sydney Convicts.
Sam Dengate (he/him)
Gym/Powerlifting
“Fear [of LGBTQ inclusion] is because of lack of education and understanding”
Sam is the Head Coach and owner of T Generation, which was born out of his personal negative experience and unease in the health/fitness industry around queer safety and empathy.
Kate Humphries (she/her)
Sailing
“It doesn’t harm anyone to include people, no matter what their background, in sport… and I’d go so far as to say; that level of inclusion saves lives”
Kate is intending on being the first woman to cross the pacific ocean as captain of her own private motor boat this year.
Daniel Kowalski (he/him)
Swimming
“one of the most powerful things that we can do is create and provide a platform for people to be able tell their stories and share their own experiences”
Kowalski is a former Olympian and member of the Australian Swimming team and proud Dolphins number 431.
Gracie Elvin (she/her)
Cycling
“We don’t want it just to be a by-line in an inclusivity document that gets lost in the bowels of websites. We want it to be out and we want it to be talked about often, so everyone feels comfortable.
Gracie Elvin is an Australian former racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2012 and 2020. Elvin is a two-time winner of the Australian National Road Race Championships, with victories in 2013 and 2014, and the only Australian female rider to record a podium finish at the Tour of Flanders for Women, with second in 2017.
Dan Palmer (he/him)
Rugby
“Sport is a microcosm for broader society, and for better or worse; professional athletes are looked up to by the community. Athletes can have a huge impact on the way younger people view themselves and the world around them. It is therefore critical that they, and the organisations they represent, set a good example for the broader community”
Dan Palmer is a former Australian professional rugby union footballer. Having played for the Wallabies, Waratahs, and Brumbies.
The video series celebrates LGBTQ athletes and highlights the importance of LGBTQ inclusion in sport.