About
Within the GaySport website and our related services, the following goals are met:
- promote gay and lesbian sports
- stimulate gays and lesbians to participate in sports in general, and gay and lesbian sports in particular
- promote the creation of new gay and lesbian sports groups, or at least sports groups where gays and lesbians are not discriminated against on the ground of their sexual preferences
- promote the organization of sports events where gays and lesbians can freely express themselves without hiding their sexual preference
The website and mailing list, like all other EGLSF projects, are completely run by volunteers. All people “behind the screens” are committed to continuously further improving the services for the gay and lesbian sports community.
You may ask:
Why is it necessary to have special events and sports groups just for the LGBT community?
The reasons vary from one country to another, since every country in Europe is different. However, most of us know it is not easy to come out about your sexuality in a ‘regular’ sports group. Some may even have been in situations where they felt harassed, were called names, or worse. They may have felt that by being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender they were not accepted by their fellow club members.
LGBT sports groups experience the same discrimination when they want to compete in regular events or join existing sports associations. Did you know that in some countries it isn’t possible to rent a volleyball court if you say it’s for an LGBT event? We think this is not acceptable. Sport is supposed to be fun.
We, therefore, need to work towards a climate in sports where people can be what they are, of their own free will, whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight. The EGLSF works towards that goal, together with LGBT mainstream organizations, like ILGA and others, as well as with European institutions like the European Council and the European Union.