Sports play a significant role in bringing people together for a common cause despite their differences in culture, gender affiliations, and sexual orientations.
It’s platform LGBT activists can use to create awareness of the need for acceptance and social integration.
Most countries, including the developed western regions, still put a red flag on LGBTs. They believe they need to be in their world now that they’ve deviated from the norm.
That’s a myth, just like religion, the choice of your faith shouldn’t be a discriminatory element in the society.
Social integration should be a driving point. It shouldn’t be used against you in any way; instead, people should be empowered on their existence and the need to coexist.
You can’t deny a world marathon holder on the title because he’s gay or a lesbian; we have renowned lesbians, gays, and bisexuals who hold strategic positions on the corporate and sports field.
Renowned LGBTs in the Sports Field
When Casey Dellacqua, a word table tennis titleholder, had enough discriminatory comments about her same-sex family, she said enough.
She took it upon herself to empower people on the need to follow their affiliations without fear.
Casey can beat the ball over a tennis table at all angles, thanks to her perfect flexibility and hand coordination skills.
Whether it’s poorly or highly reviewed ping pong tables, no one can match her skills. That made people resort to using her love life as a weapon to bring her down.
She still emerged strongly despite the legal battles surrounding her questionable sexual status.
The war has moved a notch higher to the point that lesbians and gays have their leagues in different games where they compete.
The New York Gay Pool League is one such example. It’s a league with referees; they play using international standards with standard pool equipment, including top rated pool tables that you can find this year.
It depicts the seriousness they give their members as far as the sport is concerned. Who are you to judge them?
How Sports Can Enhance Social Integration With LGBT Persons
1. Encourage them to participate in national, regional and international games
The parallel LGBT league is a disadvantage to social integration among them.
First, it’s an act of self discrimination. They feel they need to be on their own. Secondly, they segregate themselves in society, meaning it becomes hard for the rest of the people to join them as teammates.
People with different sexual orientations should participate in all matches without any biasness.
It’s a way of educating the public of their importance in society despite the sexual orientation path.
2. Integrating them in clubs as long as they have the required skill
Clubs are an attraction to sports lovers all over the world. We can’t take advantage of this considerable following to create awareness on the need for LGBTs to come out open.
If they can be embraced in an international club, who are you to point fingers at them? By all means, the gay-only or lesbian only or bisexual only sports clubs should be discouraged with the strongest terms possible.
However, on the flip side, it’s a platform to throw themselves to the public, not about their sexual status but their skills for other big clubs to notice their exemplary skills and accommodate them.
3. Allow them to come out to motivate the rest
How will the young LGBTs in the remote villages come out and open about themselves? A renowned gay or lesbian sports professional is enough to change people’s mindset about them.
As guests in sports events, they spread the message of social integration to the world. Still, the corridors of justice are also one through advocacy groups to pass laws that accommodate them.
4. Create awareness among sports fanatics
The only way for people to understand this minority group’s existence is for them to be aware of the situation at hand.
Word of mouth may not reach a varied audience, but the following activities come in handy to spread the word.
- Media publicity
- Capacity building programs- seminars and conferences
- Team building activities
- Outreach programs
5. Through sports tournaments, festivals, and competitions
If you want to reach a broad audience when it comes to disseminating information, then try sports.
Naturally, whatever kind of game people love and spend a dime to ensure they watch their favorite players.
With professionals in event planning, you can create time through motivational speeches to pass the information.
The display of corporate tables during the sports festival also plays a vital role in achieving the same.
Sports competitions with lucrative awards are an attraction too. When all these don’t work out, then the rule of law outstands all other initiatives.
