Queer inclusion in sport: From "chilly" spaces to "feel-good" spaces

Presentation delivered at the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Sportif conference, Calgary, Alberta (November 2-3, 2023).

In this workshop, we will draw on the lived experiences of the facilitators and attendees, narratives from community members, and existing research to explore the features of sport spaces that can make them (un)welcoming for Queer community members. We will also work together to identify changes we want to see in our own community sport spaces and consider action we can take to make these changes a reality, from the individual level to the structural level.


Our central goal in facilitating this workshop at this conference is to provide coaches with direct, tangible, and well-researched tips on how to make their practices more inclusive the minute they walk out the door. Our interactive workshop will draw on current qualitative and quantitative data on queer youth and adults who (did or do) participate in sport, to offer practical examples of ways to improve material conditions in sport for queer athletes. Intended outcomes for the workshop are threefold: first, to demystify queer identities that athletes hold at every level of sport; second, to illuminate and generate individual actions that positively impact athletes at risk of ceasing participation in sport; and third, to empower organizations to take simple but powerful action to support all participants equitably. The current anti-trans climate – one that has weaponized sport – makes the timing and content of this presentation crucial. Sport organizations are scrambling to ensure they meet the needs of their members, and in doing so, do not cause harm to specific groups. We hope that by framing our knowledge through lived experience and simple, direct tips, we create meaningful and lasting change. We are also aware that the composition and dynamic of our research team is a strength that we hope will help the message sink in: One of us is an academic who has studied and worked in the sport sector for 20 years and is the parent of a gender non-conforming son. The other is a non-binary, trans student, athlete, and coach who is co-Chair of one of the Canada’s largest queer sport clubs.