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Sports Media LGBT+ has launched ‘Rainbow Ready’ - a new resources pack for communicating LGBT+ inclusion in sport.

The 14-page document lays out a strategy that anyone working in a comms or sports media role can adopt to help make lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people feel welcome and included.

In addition, a set of media guidelines is provided to assist press officers, editors and journalists in producing related content.

The resources pack is the first to be issued by Sports Media LGBT+, a network, advocacy and consultancy group set up in 2017.

The pack is endorsed by three of the UK’s leading LGBT+ sports inclusion organisation - Pride Sports UK, LEAP Sports Scotland, and LGBT Sport Cymru.

Sports Media LGBT+ lead Jon Holmes - Senior Home Page Editor at Sky Sports Digital - hopes ‘Rainbow Ready’ will be useful to all working in comms, whether they are new to this topic or already have experience in some aspects of LGBT+ inclusion in sport.

“February is both LGBT History Month and the Football v Homophobia campaign’s month of action,” says Holmes. “We want to offer practical support to anyone in sports media or connected comms roles who’s looking for information on initiatives such as these.

“Members of our network and wider community know that there’s often an apprehension around discussing LGBT+ inclusion in sport because people are worried they might get something wrong.

"It can also be unclear where to start and how to proceed when you’re looking to engage people from all parts of the LGBT+ community, as well as speaking to people who aren’t LGBT+.

“The ‘Rainbow Ready’ resources will give comms officers the confidence to address these themes and a path to follow on inclusion.”

The launch of the document, which is available to download for free by clicking on the link here, follows on from the group’s #AuthenticMe event in London and workshops delivered at the Pride Sports Summit in Manchester in October.

If you are not familiar, Sports Media LGBT+ is a network group and consultancy that advocates for inclusion in the media industry, and across sport.

The group welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people working or seeking to work in sports media; and also allies who are supportive of members of the LGBT+ community, their rights, gender equality, and other initiatives related to inclusion in sport.

The group’s extended network encompasses LGBT+ people and allies in a variety of roles in both sports and media. Through partnering and collaborating, Sports Media LGBT+ aims to help create welcoming environments and cultures in which LGBT+ people can achieve their goals through authenticity.

Sports Media LGBT+ has relationships and partnerships with a range of industry bodies such as the Sports Journalists’ Association, Women In Football, Racing Pride UK and BCOMS.

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