Something Extra

 

Wembley Stadium was lit up in Pride colours ahead of the final of football’s oldest cup competition in the world - the FA Cup - as a show of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

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Somewhere’s 2022 Unicorn of the Year Zander Murray won another trophy for his contributions to visibility in sport, as he claimed the sport and recreation prize at the Proud Scotland Awards. Inclusive rugby team Glasgow Raptors received a special commendation in the same category.

 

On the same night at the Proud Scotland Awards, world champion curler Bruce Mouat was recognised for his achievements as he was inducted into the Proud Scotland Awards Hall of Fame.

 

Before moving too far away from Zander Murray, it has been a big couple of months for him in other ways too - he led the Edinburgh Pride march, and the Gala Fairydean Rovers shirt he wore in his first match after coming out (also when he passed 100 goals for the club) has been placed in the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden.

 

Quadball is a sport that is hugely inclusive, particularly for the trans and non-binary community. It was wonderful, then, to see Wales, England and Ireland make the journey up to Scotland for a four-nation tournament in Edinburgh featuring a huge proportion of players who could be authentically themselves.

 

The Independent’s Pride List, listing 50 of the top LGBT+ change-makers in the UK, featured several athletes in prominent positions. Lioness Beth Mead was at the top of the list, while former teammate and Queen of the I’m a Celeb jungle Jill Scott came in at number eight. Other current and former sportspeople listed were diver Tom Daley, footballer Jake Daniels, runner Dame Kelly Holmes, presenter Clare Balding, curler Bruce Mouat, swimmer Michael Gunning and basketball and tennis player Robyn Love.

 

England international cricketers Nat and Katherine Sciver-Brunt became the first LGBTQ+ couple to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story together in June, reading a book called Find Your Happy - showing young readers what to do if they feel sad, angry, frightened or shy.

 

Proud Tartan Army, the LGBTQ+ supporters group for the Scottish football national team, held their first ever event - a watch party at the Strathclyde Students’ Union for the men’s team’s match against Norway in June.

 

In the world of mixed martial-arts, the UFC’s first openly lesbian champion Amanda Nunes announced her retirement from the sport after successfully defending the women’s bantamweight championship against Irene Aldana. Nunes leaves with a string of records to her name, including being the only fighter in UFC history - male or female - to retire as a multi-division champion.

 

An all-trans rugby match, the first of its kind in the USA, took place to promote trans inclusion in sport amid an ever-rising tide of anti-LGBTQ legislation in America, much of which particularly targets trans people of all ages in sport.

 

Sad news came through that ground-breaking Aussie Rules football player Matt Hall passed away. Matt was the first openly gay player in the sport, and won a legal battle in the 1990s to be able to continue playing after being diagnosed as HIV+. He was also a key figure in the Pride House at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.

 

Floorball club Perth Parrots released a short film highlighting the impact that getting involved in sport has had on their members, shortly before flying out to the EuroGames in Switzerland to represent Team Scotland!

 

Pride in Touch brought a tournament to Glasgow featuring players from all across the UK and beyond! As part of the weekend, they held a Seen & Heard seminar featuring panels discussing first-hand experiences of LGBTQ+ athletes from grassroots to elite, and how to create a lasting legacy of inclusion for the community in sport.

 

After some controversies along the way about sponsorships and armbands, the women’s World Cup finally got underway! As is often the case in women’s sports compared to men’s, there was plenty of LGBTQ+ representation with over 87 (around one in 10) out players. A Football v Homophobia podcast episode specifically delved into LGBTQ+ connections to the tournament before a ball was kicked, with some interesting history that’s still worth a listen now.

 

One LGBTQ+ icon announced the 2023 women’s World Cup would be her last, though, as Megan Rapinoe confirmed she would retire at the end of the year. Rapinoe has been a key player for the US national team, but has arguably become known just as well on a global stage for advocating for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights, famously saying “you can’t win a championship without gays in your team”.

 

In a landmark moment for representation in elite sports Kevin Maxen, a strength coach at American football team Jacksonville Jaguars, became the first out coach in major league men’s sports in the US. Speaking to Outsports, Maxen spoke of wanting to live openly with his boyfriend and hopes to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.