February is Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans + (LGBT+) History Month, a month to promote equality and diversity.
LGBT+ History Month is an important annual event to raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, which has long fought for equality. This is done through increasing the visibility of LGBT+ people, their history, lives and their experiences in the wider community. At Scottish Cycling, we are proud to celebrate LGBT+ History Month and strive to ensure that everybody feels welcome, valued and supported in our sport.
Ride with PRIDE
PRiDE OUT is a friendly and inclusive cycling group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (LGBTIQ)+ people and allies across the UK. Everyone is welcome regardless of age, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, bike or ability.
Join PRIDEOUT
Richard Hearne, Founder and Chairperson of PRIDEOUT said, "You don’t have to look too far back in history to see that homosexuality was a crime until 1976 in England & Wales and 1980 in Scotland. Gay and lesbian people were also were banned from serving in the military until 2000. Gay and lesbian people were also were banned from serving in the military until 2000.There is still a very long way to go so that sport and cycling are truly representative of minority demographics. The LGB&T Partnership in 2016 found that 55% of LGBTQ+ men were not active enough to maintain good health compared to 33% of men in the general population; 56% of LGBTQ+ women compared to 33% of women in the general population; and 64% of LGBTQ+ people who identified as something other than male or female (e.g. gender-fluid or gender-queer). This is why Scottish Cycling showing solidarity is so important and can help encourage LGBTQ+ communities to cycle more.
Scottish Cycling is committed to making cycling accessible for all and truely developing a Nation of Cyclists. With this in mind, a Diversity and Inclusion working group has been established to work towards breaking down barriers in the sport.
James Bracher, Scottish Cycling Club Development Manager and lead on Equality said, "It’s great to see Prideout rides come to Scotland and we’re delighted to be supporting them to welcome the LGBTIQ+ community and raise awareness of the diversity gap that exists in cycling. It’s vital that cycling represents the communities that it serves and the fabric of our society is reflected in our clubs and community groups. We realise that the cycling community misses out when people feel that they are not welcome in our sport, or that they stop cycling due to the barriers that they face. We’re committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcome and included."
"For these reasons we are revising our Diversity and Inclusion working group at Scottish Cycling, and realigning our focus to work towards making cycling a beacon of light for all those who wish to take part."
