Thorne Harbour congratulates Victorians for leading the way in LGBTI inclusion in sport

Last night’s 2019 Pride in Sport Awards saw Victorian organisations and individuals recognised for leading the way in LGBTI inclusion in Australian sport including Melbourne University Sport, Tennis Australia, Cricket Victoria, St Kilda Football Club, and David Kyle from North Gippsland Football & Netball League.

As part of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, Pride in Sport is the only sporting inclusion program specifically designed to assist Australian sporting organisations and clubs with LGBTI inclusion. Its world-first Pride in Sport Index (PSI) benchmarks and assesses the inclusion of LGBTI people across all sporting contexts.

“Last night showcased some of the great work being done for LGBTI inclusion in sport and Victorian organisations and individuals continue to scoop the pool of major awards,” said Thorne Harbour Health CEO Simon Ruth.

Last night’s Victorian wins closely follow RMIT University taking out the top prize as 2019 Employer of the Year for LGBTI inclusion at last month’s Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards as part of Pride in Diversity.

2019 PSI Awards last night included:

• Highest Ranking Overall - Melbourne University Sport & Tennis Australia (joint winners)
• Highest Ranking SSO - Cricket Victoria
• Highest Ranking Professional Club - St Kilda Football Club
• LGBTI Ally Award - David Kyle, North Gippsland Football & Netball League

“We’re seeing some remarkable progress in sporting organisations bringing about meaningful change in how they engage and include our LGBTI communities. We congratulate everyone contributing to these efforts,” said Simon Ruth.

“Huge efforts have gone into addressing homophobia in sport, and while there’s still work to be done, we’re seeing progress. Moreover, this morning’s release of the Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Sport by Sport Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Coalition of Major Professional & Participation Sports is taking steps to make sure we bring all our LGBTI communities along with us as we move forward into a more inclusion future.”

The National Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport were launched in Melbourne earlier today.