Imagine – if Brighton was the go-to venue for LGBT sports in the South East – what an achievement that would be, by Viv Woodcock Downey
We’ve a long way to go, but the annual Brighton Pride Diversity Games are a step in the right direction.
BLAGSS the local LGBT sports organisation have a dream that one day Brighton will host a major LGBT tournament such as the Gay Games – the Gay Olympics which take place once every four years, where the best and the beginner atheletes from across the world join together to celebrate LGBT sport.
In 2018 the Gay Games will be held in Paris (www.paris2018.com).
Imagine again – 15,000 LGBT athletes, swimmers, footballers, runners, bowlers, golfers – and many more sports people – descending on Brighton for a week of sporting fun and games. That’s something we could all be proud of.
This year the Brighton Pride Diversity Games will be held over the weekend of July 22-24.
On Friday, July 22 – there will be a big Welcome Party – giving all participants a chance to meet each other, have a bit of fun, and dance the night away before the games start.
On Saturday, July 23 – a number of sporting tournaments will take place across the city.
On the seafront, Brighton and Hove Petanque Club (http://bhpetanque.org) will be hosting a Petanque tournament.
On the Downs, at Hollingbury Golf Course, BLAGSS will be hosting the Pride Shield and the Rainbow Challenge tournaments
At Sussex University Sports Ground there will be tournaments in Football, Rugby, Tennis, Badminton and cricket.
On Sunday, July 24 – the focus moves to Preston Park where we will enjoy watching or taking part in the Rainbow Run a 5 km Fun Run open to everyone, and the Pride Diversity Games FunDay – think school sports day – where Brighton’s LGBT Community Groups will be hopping, running, bouncing, stumbling, their way to the finish line and the glory of being the City’s FunDay Champions.
It is all in aid of the Rainbow Fund, which funds LGBT/HIV organisations providing effective front line services to the LGBT community in Brighton and Hove.
The Park will be a market place of all types of sports and well-being activities – pilates, TaiChi, Beat the Keeper and many, many more – all free to spectators!
So why do BLAGSS have this dream of hosting a major championship?
It’s all about encouraging LGBT people to take part in competitive sport, and working to remove the barriers to participation. In a LGBT tournament, LGBT people are free to be themselves and to be the best they can be at their chosen sport.
Many LGBT people are interested in sport, but have been put off by negative experiences at school, in clubs and at sporting events. This can create a perception that sport is an unsafe and unpleasant environment for LGBT people.
In fact sport is a great thing to do – it is great for fitness and for health and also for our mental well-being. Sophie Green, a trans activist living in Hove was quoted in a recent ‘Guardian’ article: “Sport is such a great thing to do through transition, as it is very empowering, and it is great for mental health, which can also be an issue”.
Brighton Pride, BLAGSS and Trans Can Sport have a shared belief that sport can be and is a positive activity in the lives of LGBT people. That is why everyone is working hard to develop a tournament that is a more open and inclusive environment to encourage LGBT people to take part in sport.
BLAGSS are proud to have developed a partnership with Brighton Pride, Sussex FA, Sussex Cricket and look forward to working with other professional and LGBT sports associations and groups throughout Brighton and the south-east in the coming years to create an annual competitive sporting weekend, where people can be themselves and reach their full potential.
How are we making it happen?
Costs have been kept to a minimum – the games have to pay for themselves. We are not making a profit, but any surplus will be paid to the Rainbow Fund to distribute through their grants programme to organisations providing effective front line services to LGBT people in the city.
We are trying to remove any unnecessary barriers to participation. We have to follow the rules for the various sports, but where these are flexible, we are aiming for the highest level of inclusion and are working with local experts such as Sussex FA, Sussex Cricket, the Brighton and Hove Petanque Club and The Sea Serpents Rugby Club to organise the tournaments.
To register for the Pride Diversity Games, click here:
Written by: Viv Woodcock-Downey
Around £36 million is available in this funding round, covering the period 2017-19.
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