Sport for all Genders and Sexualities!

Tackling Sexism, Trans- and Homophobia in European Grassroots Sport (SGS)

Project goal

The project aims to establish an inclusive and open sports culture that is open to all genders and sexualities. European sport is still dominated by rather antiquated notions of masculinity and pejorative notions of femininity, as well as the strict division into "men" and "women". This dominant binary and masculine narrative in sport contributes to the discrimination and exclusion of women/girls (sexism), transgender (transphobia), lesbians and gay men (homophobia), and all those who cannot/won't be pigeonholed with their gender identity.

The overall goal of the project is to promote inclusion and participation of all genders and sexualities in European grassroots sports. This requires an understanding of how athletes are still excluded from sport due to a prevailing binary gender norm. 

Together with relevant stakeholders from organized grassroots sports, SGS develops measures and methods (institutionalized dialogue, guidelines, awareness campaigns and inclusive trainings) to address these discriminations and break down barriers for transgender athletes, LGB persons and women.

Activities

These activities will increase participation in sports by all people and create a sports culture that is open to all genders and sexualities. The project will establish an empirical base through action-oriented research and best practices of institutional inclusion (Work Package 2). Work package 3 foresees the development of concrete measures, namely inclusive policies, training methods and an awareness campaign, and institutionalizes dialogue with stakeholders from organized sport and LGBT experts*. In work package 4, the developed measures will be implemented in national pilot actions in five partner countries (Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Germany). Finally, the results achieved and the experience and knowledge gained will be disseminated and made available to a broad public for future and sustainable use (work package 5).

Partnerships

Partners of this project are: 

• Partner 1 (P1, Coordinator): Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC, Austria) | NGO
• Partner 2 (P2): German Sports University (GSU, Germany) | University for Sport and Physical Education
• Partner 3 (P3): European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF, The Netherlands) | LGBT umbrella sport organisation
• Partner 4 (P 4): Assoziazione Italiane Cultura e Sport (AICS, Italy) | National Sport for All Organisation
• Partner 5 (P5): Diversport (DS, Spain) | Genderinclusive LGBT sport club
• Partner 6 (P6): Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen (LSB, Germany) | Non-governmental Umbrella Sport Organization of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Partner 7 (P7): Confédération Sportive Internationale Travailliste et Amateur (CSIT, Austria) | World Federation of Workers' and Amateur Sports Associations 

Furthermore, there are three associated partners who are part of the working group on gender and sexual diversity in Austrian sports and who will accompany the pilot actions in Austria:

• (Associate) Partner 8 (P8): Austrian Figure Skating Association (SKATE AUSTRIA, Austria) | Sport Federation
• (Associate) Partner 9 (P9): Vienna Roller Derby (VRD, Austria) | Local Sport Club
• (Associate) Partner 10 (P10): Austrian Centre for Gender Competence in sport (100% SPORT, Austria) | Initiative for Gender Equality in Sport

Sport for all Genders and Sexualities! is funded by the European Commission within the Erasmus+ Sport program.