Scottish government pledge sports homophobia action

GOVERNMENT action has been promised to stamp out homophibia in sport with the creation of a charter for gay and transgender people to help tackle the problem.

Sports minister Shona Robison has pledged to create an LGBT charter. Picture: Julie Bull

It follows a damning report last year which revealed that more than half (62%) of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have suffered discrimination, or seen it, in sport.

Sports minister Shona Robison announced today that a national group is to be set up to implement an action plan to work for better inclusion.

“There should be no barriers at all to participating in sport and the Commonwealth Games provides a fantastic opportunity to promote equality,” Ms Robison said.

“Yet the Equality Network’s Out for Sport report – the biggest research to date on homophobia and transphobia in Scottish sport – highlighted problems in attitudes that still exist.

“We take homophobia very seriously so I welcome the Out for Sport recommendation to develop an action plan to tackle prejudice, put in place diversity strategies and to monitor progress.”

Ms Robisoin said that sport governing bodies should have “clear policies” in place for LGBT people, and national sports quango sportscotland will have a role to ensure that consideration of LGBT people is mainstreamed into sport development plans.

An LGBT sports charter will also be created, Ms Robison added, which governing bodies can “support and promote to their members, to help spread the inclusion message.”

Scott Cuthbertson, Community Development Coordinator for the Equality Network, which published the report welcomed the pledge.

“The Out for Sport report reveals for the first time the extent of homophobia and transphobia experienced in Scottish sport,” he said.

“We welcome the strong commitment from the Scottish Government and sportscotland to tackling this issue, ensuring LGBT people can play a full and active role in the sporting life of Scotland.”