Play with PRIDE

Running from Tuesday 21^st – Friday 24^th, Play With PRIDE is aiming to highlight the current inclusivity offer that our sports clubs have for the LGBTQ+ community, and work with clubs to better their understanding of the barriers to participation, enabling further support to their current and potential LGBTQ+ student members.

This campaign was rooted from the recent decisions led by National Governing Bodies that directly exclude transgender members of the LGBTQ+ community to play their sport - unfortunately, at University-level sport, we have to follow the rules and guidelines set out by BUCS, University leagues and ultimately the sport’s NGBs. However, at Newcastle University Students Union, we stand for inclusion and participation above all so this campaign aims to show our LGBTQ+ students that there are lots of fully inclusive sporting opportunities to take part in, which are not categorised by gender binaries. As an AU, we will also be showing solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community by wearing rainbow laces and expressing what ‘Playing With PRIDE’ really means to us at Team Newcastle. Further to this, we recognise that as an AU and as a University, we can always do more to develop our knowledge and understanding, remove barriers and better our allyship, which is why a workshop is being delivered for club committees over the week.

Taster sessions advertised through Give It A Go are highlighting a few of the sports clubs who are able to offer mixed-gender training and competition, meaning that everyone is able to participate without having to fit into a gender binary. The sessions are aimed at the LGBTQ+ student community but no one will be asked to identify as everyone is welcome!

On Friday 24^th 7-10pm, we will also be running a fundraising Dodgeball tournament, which the whole student body can get involved in and help us raise money for Humankind’s LGBTQ+ North East support service! It will take place in Sports Hall 2 in the University Sports Centre and you won’t need a membership to get in so please come along and have some fun with your friends whilst raising money! To get involved, please email au.union@newcastle.ac.uk. 

If you are affected by any issues in this article or raised through the campaign, then please don’t hesitate to email Hannah around sport club-related issues or complaints or get in touch with the Students Union Welfare and Support Centre. We want to ensure that all of our students feel safe and supported at all times.