Gender, Sexuality & LGBTQI+
There is a huge amount of diversity within the Ultimate community, something to be proud of! Throughout the community there are a diverse range of people and players.
A person’s gender does not determine their sexuality and vice versa. A person’s sexuality is about physical and emotional attraction, whereas gender identity is the gender a person identifies with and / or feels they are. Some people may not identify with a gender at all. Some people may refer to themselves as a third gender, a mix of female and male or as non-gendered. Some people may feel different about their gender at different times.
People should feel safe in expressing their gender if they wish to. Clubs should seek to create inclusive environments.
Pride Sports aim to improve access to sport for LGBTQ+ people and challenge homophobia, biphobia and transphobia by campaigning for change, education, promoting good practice and actively growing LGBTQI+ participation and satisfaction in sport.
There are plenty of resources you can find to learn more. The following are just a starting point:
https://vcultimate.com/blogs/news/tagged/equity
https://www.sportengland.org/research-and-data/research/lgbtq
http://switchboard.lgbt (an information, support and referral service)
https://dean.st/ (experts who focus on the needs of the LGBTQI+ community)
Some simple ways promote inclusivity in your club:
Terminology and language. Aim to use gender-neutral terms as a way to be more inclusive of more people. This might include 'match defence' instead of 'man defence'. If appropriate in your club, where players are required to identify with a gender-specific roster spot in a mixed format you could replace terminology of male / female with non-gendered terms (although please be aware that sport-wide gendered terms are used).
Pronouns. You could ask people whether they have a preferred pronoun instead of assuming pronouns.
Create a safe and supportive space. Work with your teammates to create a safe environment where people feel comfortable and accepted, just as they are. This will look different for each team or club - but likely it will include a zero tolerance policy on bullying as well as positive measures such as open and continuous feedback between players and leadership on team culture and dynamics. Think about the impact of single gender facilities and how you could adapt your approach where this is possible.
Promotion. Perhaps, although perhaps not, your club might provide a space to celebrate or promote LGBTQI more broadly.