Inclusion is a culture: What LGBTQ+ Experiences in Women’s Sport Can Teach Every Gym, Club, and Team
Women’s sport can be a powerful place of belonging for LGBTQ+ people, however it can also be a place where people learn, quietly, to stay guarded.
New Australian research from one of our Amplify Pride Grant Partners Pride Cup and partners explores exactly that tension: women’s sport can be life-changing, or life-limiting, depending on the culture around you.[1]
One finding really stood out to me:
More than half of LGBTQ+ participants reported feeling more comfortable with their sexuality because of playing women’s sport.[1]
That is what inclusion can do.
But the same research also shows that exclusion still shows up, in ways that push people out:
31% of participants reported bullying, harassment, or incivility linked to their sexuality or gender identity.[1]
So what is the difference between the two experiences?
Rather than one big moment, it’s everyday signals, leadership, what gets said and what gets shut down, what gets celebrated, and what gets tolerated.
Inclusion is a culture, not a campaign
It is easy to treat Pride as a “once a year” moment. A logo update. A themed class. A rainbow post.
However this research is a reminder that inclusion does not happen by accident. It is created, or undermined, every day through leadership, language, policies, and behaviour.[1]
This June you can put inclusion into practice by joining Sweat with Pride.
We’re inviting you to make Pride month count by sweating for a rainbow cause. Whether you are an individual, team, workplace, gym, or community group… you can turn Pride Month into meaningful action.
The idea is simple:
Move your way for 21 minutes a day in June
Team up or go solo
Fundraise to help strengthen rainbow communities
One month of effort can create year-round impact.
30 days of impact. 365 days of Pride.
Save the date: 1–30 June 2026
If you’re a gym or club: host a Sweat with Pride+ event
If you manage a gym, run a sporting club, or lead a community group, Sweat with Pride+ is a way to bring inclusive culture to life in your own space during Pride Month.
Host an event that helps people Connect, Move, or Dance, and be part of a national moment for action.
Register your interest for Sweat with Pride+ here:
The question worth asking (in sport, fitness, and workplaces)
If someone new walked into your club, your class, or your team training tonight, would they immediately know they belong?
This Pride Month, let’s build the kind of everyday culture that makes the answer “yes”.
Jake (he/him) - Rainbow Giving Australia
