All in Sport Together by Professor Laura McAllister
A former Welsh football international herself, in her latest blog, Professor Laura McAllister adds her weight to the importance of tackling homophopia in sport in the quest to get people playing.
We all know that sport has the power to truly enrich people’s lives; from benefiting health and wellbeing through to promoting social and community cohesion and enhancing educational attainment. At Sport Wales, we’ve made genuine commitments to making sport something that all people in our nation can enjoy.
When we say ‘all’, we mean ‘all’; regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or disability; and we’re acutely aware that we need to understand how the diverse range of communities in Wales currently experience, and want to experience, sport in order to achieve that ambitious aspiration.
Through ground-breaking, new research, conducted in partnership with Stonewall Cymru, we have done just that for the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities in Wales, and whilst the results encouragingly show that there is a high demand for sporting and volunteering opportunities amongst the respondents, the research has also highlighted that those same individuals are being turned off sport, believing it can be an unwelcoming and unsafe environment for gay people.
Some lesbian participants perceived some women’s team sports to be quite ‘gay-friendly’, but many gay male participants suggested that they are doubly excluded from team sports: firstly because of their sexual orientation; and secondly because they feel that they lack the basic skills that some of their straight peers have.
Let’s be clear; homophobia in sport is completely unacceptable, and from schools through to community and professional sport, participants, coaches and spectators, the sector needs look at itself and see if there is more we can all do to ensure there is a warm welcome for all. We’re under no illusions that the sport sector alone can change the opinions and beliefs of every person involved in sport in Wales – but as a modern, go ahead sector, we can make a commitment to make sport inclusive and welcoming. We can think about our own behaviour, and when appropriate, challenge the behaviour of others where it falls short .
This isn’t necessarily about creating exclusive clubs and opportunities for the LGB community; 72% of those asked said they would be more likely to participate in a club if it was marketed as LGB friendly and organised its activities on this basis. That sends a strong message to the sector; there is a captive audience wanting to engage with sport and we need to do all we can to visibly demonstrate a commitment to encouraging them to join us in our ambitions for Welsh sport.
We’ve been very vocal about the need for young people to have a positive experience of sport at the earliest possible age, and the importance of that has been reiterated in this research.
Whether through gendered teaching and activities or teacher behaviour, the results show that school sport has played a role in turning gay men, in particular, off sport and their negative experience of school sport has impacted their views of sport into adulthood.
The school environment can be a difficult place for young people and LGB pupils can often be the target of abuse and exclusion, like many others when it comes to competitive school sport especially. PE lessons and sport in and outside schools needs to be varied and inclusive, competitive and non-competitive.
The education sector has a huge role to play in breaking down the stereotypes, which are often the root of the problem, by offering a more diverse experience of sport at a young age.
Thankfully, gone are the days when girls would only play netball, hockey and gymnastics whilst boys did football and rugby. With the introduction of 5x60 and the Young Ambassador programme, pupils are now being listened to and there are a much wider variety of extracurricular sports and activities on offer for them to participate in; that now needs to be reflected within the curriculum. Schools need to identify the issues, arm the PE and schools sport providers with the tools to identify and challenge homophobic bullying in a sport setting and promote a positive social environment, where any boy opting for dance or gymnastics over rugby, for example, is accepted and supported.
There is also a responsibility for the national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) to visibly demonstrate their commitment to tackling homophobia in sport, and in encouraging LGB people to engage with them. Whether through the training and development of stewards to identify and challenge homophobic abuse, through their work with the media in improving the coverage of LGB issues in sport, or supporting players who want to come out and challenge abuse or discrimination.
The research has certainly identified many challenges for the sport sector and we’re committed to supporting NGBs, clubs and schools in their quest to make sport a space where all people feel confident, safe and able to be themselves.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need to spend time considering how some citizens or groups might be attracted and then retained in sport s participants, coaches and volunteers. After all, sport belongs to us all. But for now, it is important that we open our eyes to ‘banter’ and behaviour that might put off some young people from joining us and stall our ambition of getting every child hooked on sport for life.
For more visit http://www.sportwales.org.uk/news--events/news--events/our-news/latest-news/drive-to-tackle-homophobia-in-sport.aspx
Rydyn ni i gyd yn gwybod bod gan chwaraeon y pŵer i wirioneddol gyfoethogi bywydau pobl; o sichrau manteision i iechyd a lles i hybu cydlyniant cymdeithasol a chymunedol a gwella cyflawniadau addysgol. Yn Chwaraeon Cymru, rydyn ni wedi gwneud ymrwymiad didwyll i sicrhau bod chwaraeon yn rhywbeth y gall pawb yn ein gwlad ni ei fwynhau.
A phan rydyn ni’n dweud ‘pawb’, rydyn ni’n golygu ‘pawb’, waeth beth yw eu hoedran, eu rhyw, eu rhywioldeb, eu hethnigrwydd, eu crefydd neu eu hanabledd; ac rydyn ni’n hynod ymwybodol bod rhaid i ni ddeall sut mae’r ystod amrywiol o gymunedau yng Nghymru’n profi chwaraeon ar hyn o bryd, ac eisiau profi chwaraeon, er mwyn cyflawni’r dyhead uchelgeisiol hwnnw.
Drwy waith ymchwil arloesol a newydd, a gynhaliwyd mewn partnership â Stonewall Cymru, rydyn ni wedi gwneud yn union hynny ar gyfer cymunedau lesbiaidd, hoyw a deurywiol yng Nghymru, ac er bod y canlyniadau, yn galonogol, yn datgelu bod galw mawr am gyfleoedd chwaraeon a gwirfoddoli ymhlith yr ymatebwyr, mae’r ymchwil wedi tynnu sylw hefyd at y ffaith bod yr unigolion hyn yn troi eu cefn ar chwaraeon, gan gredu ei fod yn amgylchedd sy’n gallu bod yn anghroesawgar a pheryglus i bobl hoyw.
Dywedodd rhai cyfranogwyr lesbiaidd bod rhai chwaraeon tîm i ferched yn eithaf ‘hoyw-gyfeillgar’, ond awgrymodd nifer o gyfranogwyr gwrywaidd hoyw eu bod yn cael eu heithrio o chwaraeon tîm am ddau reswm: yn gyntaf, oherwydd eu tueddfryd rhywiol ac, yn ail, oherwydd eu bod yn teimlo nad oes ganddynt y sgiliau sylfaenol y mae eu cyfoedion nad ydynt yn hoyw wedi’u meithrin.
Gadewch i ni fod yn glir; mae homoffobia mewn chwaraeon yn gwbl annerbyniol, ac o ysgolion drwodd i chwaraeon cymunedol a phroffesiynol, ymhlith cyfranogwyr, hyfforddwyr a gwylwyr, mae’n rhaid i’r sector edrych arno’i hun a cheisio gweld beth mwy y gallwn ni i gyd ei wneud er mwyn sicrhau bod croeso cynnes i bawb. Dydyn ni ddim yn credu am eiliad bod posib i’r sector chwaraeon ar ei ben ei hun newid safbwyntiau a chredoau pob person sy’n ymwneud â chwaraeon yng Nghymru – ond fel sector modern, blaengar, gallwn wneud ymrwymiad i sicrhau bod chwaraeon yn gynhwysol ac yn groesawgar. Gallwn feddwl am ein hymddygiad ni ein hunain a, phan fo hynny’n briodol, herio ymddygiad eraill pan nad yw’n dderbyniol
Dydi hyn o angenrheidrwydd ddim yn golygu bod rhaid creu clybiau a chyfleoedd arbennig ar gyfer y gymuned LHD yn unig; dywedodd 72% o’r rhai a holwyd y byddent yn fwy tebygol o gymryd rhan mewn clwb pe bai’n cael ei farchnata fel clwb cyfeillgar i bobl LHD a phe bai’n trefnu ei weithgareddau ar y sail yma. Mae hynny’n cyfleu neges gref i’r sector, sef bod gennym ni gynulleidfa barod sydd eisiau cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon a bod rhaid i ni wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i ddangos ymrwymiad clir i’w hannog i ymuno â ni yn ein huchelgais ar gyfer chwaraeon yng Nghymru.
Rydyn ni wedi lleisio ein barn yn glir am yr angen am i bobl ifanc gael profiadau cadarnhaol o chwaraeon o’r oedran ieuengaf posib, ac mae pwysigrwydd hynny wedi cael ei ailadrodd yn y gwaith ymchwil yma.
Boed drwy addysgu a gweithgareddau seiliedig ar eu rhyw, neu ymddygiad athrawon, mae’r canlyniadau’n dangos bod chwaraeon ysgol wedi chwarae rhan bwysig iawn mewn gwneud i ddynion hoyw yn arbennig droi eu cefn ar chwaraeon. Hefyd, mae eu profiadau negyddol o chwaraeon ysgol wedi cael effaith ar eu safbwyntiau am chwaraeon pan maent yn oedolion.
Gall amgylchedd yr ysgol fod yn lle anodd i bobl ifanc a gall disgyblion LHD fod yn darged yn aml i gael eu cam-drin a’u heithrio fel nifer o ddisgyblion eraill, mewn chwaraeon ysgol cystadleuol yn enwedig. Mae’n rhaid i wersi AG a chwaraeon y tu mewn a’r tu allan i ysgolion fod yn amrywiol ac yn gynhwysol, yn gystadleuol a heb gynnwys unrhyw elfen o gystadlu.
Mae gan y sector addysg ran enfawr i’w chwarae mewn cael gwared ar stereoteipiau, sydd wrth wraidd y broblem yn aml, drwy gynnig profiadau mwy amrywiol o chwaraeon o oedran ifanc.
Diolch byth, mae’r dyddiau pan oedd merched ond yn chwarae pêl rwyd, hoci a gymnasteg a’r bechgyn ond yn chwarae pêl droed a rygbi wedi hen fynd. Gyda chyflwyno rhaglen 5x60 a chynllun y Llysgenhadon Ifanc, mae llais y disgyblion yn cael ei glywed yn awr ac mae amrywiaeth llawer ehangach o chwaraeon a gweithgareddau allgyrsiol yn cael eu cynnig iddynt. Mae’n rhaid adlewyrchu hynny yn y cwricwlwm yn awr. Mae’n rhaid i ysgolion adnabod y problemau ac arfogi’r darparwyr AG a chwaraeon ysgol ag adnoddau i adnabod a herio bwlio homoffobig mewn unrhyw sefyllfa chwaraeon. Rhaid mynd ati i hybu amgylchedd cymdeithasol cadarnhaol, ble mae unrhyw fachgen sy’n dewis dawns neu gymnasteg yn lle rygbi, er enghraifft, yn cael ei dderbyn a’i gefnogi.
Mae gan y cyrff rheoli cenedlaethol gyfrifoldeb hefyd i ddangos yn gwbl glir eu hymrwymiad i fynd i’r afael â homoffobia mewn chwaraeon ac annog pobl LHD i weithio gyda nhw. Gall hynny ddigwydd drwy hyfforddi a datblygu stiwardiaid i adnabod a herio cam-drin homoffobig, drwy eu gwaith gyda’r cyfryngau er mwyn gwella’r sylw sy’n cael ei roi i faterion LHD mewn chwaraeon, neu drwy gefnogi chwaraewyr sydd eisiau dweud eu bod yn hoyw a herio cam-drin neu wahaniaethu.
Mae’r gwaith ymchwil wedi tynnu sylw at sawl her, yn sicr, ar gyfer y sector chwaraeon, ac rydyn ni wedi ymrwymo i gefnogi cyrff rheoli chwaraeon, clybiau ac ysgolion yn eu hymgais i wneud chwaraeon yn amgylchedd y mae pobl yn teimlo’n hyderus ac yn ddiogel ynddo, a hefyd amgylchedd y maent yn gallu bod yn nhw eu hunain ynddo.
Mewn byd delfrydol, ni fyddai’n rhaid i ni dreulio amser yn ystyried sut mae denu rhai dinasyddion neu grwpiau at chwaraeon fel cyfranogwyr, hyfforddwyr a gwirfoddolwyr, a’u cadw’n cymryd rhan. Wedi’r cyfan, mae chwaraeon yn perthyn i ni i gyd. Ond, am nawr, mae’n bwysig ein bod ni’n agor ein llygaid i’r ‘tynnu coes’ a’r ymddygiad sy’n gwneud i rai pobl ifanc droi eu cefn a pheidio ag ymuno â ni, gan arwain at oedi gyda chyflawni ein huchelgais o gael pob plentyn i wirioni ar chwaraeon am oes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment