Proud 2 Play

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Proud 2 Play

A vision for a world where all LGBTI+ people can lead healthy and active lifestyles through participation in sport and recreation.

Proud 2 Play provide expertise in education, policy, inclusive events and research at all levels of the sporting community.

13/06/2026

Our incredible friends at BFT Collingwood are hosting a Community Wardrobe event tomorrow to support Proud 2 Play!

If you’re looking to refresh your activewear or find your next favourite outfit, this is your chance to turn pre-loved clothes into something meaningful. For just a $5 donation at the door, you can browse and take home items from the donated collection.

Every single dollar raised goes directly to our mission of creating inclusive sporting environments for LGBTQIA+ Australians.

A massive thank you to the team at BFT Collingwood for organising this amazing fundraiser!

Here are the details for tomorrow:
📅 WHEN: Sunday 14 June
💰 ENTRY: $5 entry donation at the door
👕 DONATIONS: (Note: Clothing donations closed on 31 May—tomorrow is all about browsing and picking up some great gear!)
🌈 Open to everyone!

Come down, find a new wardrobe, and support LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport. See you there!

12/06/2026

We are working alongside Rainbow Health Australia, Safe and Equal and an incredible group of sector partners on a new project funded by the Victorian Government’s $2.1 million Preventing Violence Against LGBTQIA+ Communities grant.

This funding allows us to expand our Rainbow Ready Clubs program into regional and rural Victoria, where we will be partnering directly with regional Women’s Health Organisations to work on the ground with more than 40 local sports clubs.

Local sports clubs are the heart of regional towns, which makes them the right place to start if you want to shift the culture to prevent violence. We are using this partnership to tackle the actual root causes of discrimination and gender-based violence right at the grassroots.

LGBTQIA+ inclusion and primary prevention are directly connected. When we remove harmful stereotypes from our local clubs, we end up creating environments that are genuinely safer and healthier for women and LGBTQIA+ people alike.

Thanks to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing - VIC for backing this initiative, and to our collaborators at Zoe Belle Gender Collective Inc, Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria

Read more here: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2026/release/preventing-violence-against-lgbtiqa-communities

Head to the link to find out more about the Rainbow Ready Clubs framework.
https://www.proud2play.org.au/rainbow-ready

28/05/2026

Today is LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day. At Proud 2 Play, we are committed to building communities where everyone can live free from violence.

1 in 2 LGBTQ people will experience domestic or family violence in their lifetime but only 3 in 10 who experience this abuse tell someone.

To break the silence, victim-survivors must be .

What role can sport play in preventing Domestic Violence?

Sports clubs can function as intervention points because of the structured, regular contact outside the home they offer. Abusive behaviours thrive on isolation and a consistent schedule of training and matches provides a baseline of external connections that can be difficult for a perpetrator to sever completely. Teammates and coaches can spot subtle shifts in wellbeing, making inclusive clubs a safe, low-friction entry point to community care.

Let’s ensure our sporting spaces are built so they can offer that trust and safety.

Need support? You are not alone.
📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
🏳️‍🌈 WithRespect: 1800 542 847
💻 DVAFoundation.org

27/05/2026

Thanks to Sports Focus, we're fortunate to be able to bring these sessions to Bendigo for free, as we know that regional clubs are changing and have a great diversity amongst it's members. It's a chance to better understand the experiences of some your members in participating in sport and maybe start some conversations in your club.

This workshop provides an opportunity to explore what true inclusion in sport looks and feels like in practice. Our clubs reflect the diversity of our wider community, and this session supports participants to consider how their club can be a genuinely safe and welcoming environment for all.
Through immersive activities, shared reflection, and meaningful discussion, participants will be encouraged to see things from different perspectives, deepen their understanding, and challenge existing assumptions. The session aims to build practical insight into how more inclusive and welcoming sporting environments can be created.

Places are strictly limited, so please encourage everyone to register at www.trybooking.com/DMEFH

26/05/2026

Today is National Sorry Day - a day to acknowledge the profound and ongoing trauma inflicted upon the Stolen Generations. It marks 29 years since the landmark Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. Yet, truth-telling without decisive action remains unfinished business.

The weight of championing, explaining, and acting for justice cannot continue to fall solely on First Nations peoples, who have carried it for far too long.

That is why, as National Reconciliation Week begins tomorrow, this year’s theme demands that we are all .

Reconciliation is not a spectator sport. We cannot sit on the sidelines. To advance the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, every single one of us must step up and take active responsibility for change.

At Proud 2 Play, we stand in solidarity with Stolen Generations survivors and all First Nations communities. True inclusion and equity mean actively addressing past and ongoing harms, listening deeply, and ensuring sport and recreation are genuine spaces for healing, safety, and belonging.

Beautiful campaign artwork by Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung artist Otis Hope Carey, developed in collaboration with First Nations agency Carbon Creative.

16/05/2026

Today is ! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

The global theme this year is “At the heart of democracy” which is a reminder that our communities and sporting spaces only thrive when there is meaningful equity, safety, and justice for all.

Sport is at its best when it brings people together but to build a truly fair sporting landscape, we have to look closely at who is being left behind and restricted.

Today, we see trans people, inters*x folks, and cis women all facing harmful scrutiny and regulation of their bodies in sport. When the sporting sector regulates gender and s*x, it creates harmful barriers and silences the very people it claims to protect. For inters*x folks, trans women, and cis women, their lived experiences and voices are too often left behind in decisions made about their own bodies.

A democratic, inclusive sporting culture is one where every body is respected, protected, and welcome to play. When we build safe, proud, and inclusive clubs, we strengthen our entire community.

15/05/2026

Beautiful day for Ivanhoe Bowls Club’s first Bowl with Pride event - a celebration of our community and the work they have put in to making their club inclusive 24/7/365 through the Rainbow Ready Clubs program.

03/05/2026

With IDAHOBIT fast approaching on May 17 and Pride Month following in June, now is the perfect time to organise a guest speaker for your workplace or sporting club.

We are proud to offer the speaking services of Olympic sailor and Proud 2 Play ambassador, Amelia Catt.

Amelia understands first-hand the impact that a culture of belonging has on an athlete's trajectory. Throughout her career on the water, she has seen how embracing one's authentic self is not just a personal victory, but a performance multiplier. She is passionate about sharing how inclusive environments allow athletes to stop "filtering" their lives and start focusing their full energy on their sport and community.

Our speakers, including Amelia, share their lived experiences to help your organisation:

Understand the vital importance of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the Australian sporting landscape.
Foster a supportive environment where every participant can perform at their peak.
Celebrate diversity during key milestones like IDAHOBIT and Pride Month.

Get in fast to lock in your dates for May and June!

📩 Email us: [email protected] to chat about bringing Amelia or one of our other incredible speakers to your community.

30/04/2026

Need to improve workplace culture and looking for an engaging way to explore inclusion?

Using sport and storytelling to connect, we've adapted our immersive game-based experience, The Game to explore what it really means to create a safe and inclusive workplace. We'll be running this in Ballarat with thanks to Commerce Ballarat in May, so if you work in Ballarat come join us! Limited places, so hit the link below to book your place.

Date: 19 May
Time: 10am - 12pm
Cost: Free
Location: Commerce Ballarat, 119 Lydiard Street N
Book: https://www.commerceballarat.com.au/event/the-game-team-building

29/04/2026

We love seeing our Rainbow Ready clubs doing great things to engage the LGBTQIA+ community. Red Tag Fly Fishing (Red Tag Fly Fishers Club is hosting their "Catch a Rainbow" Come and Try session for IDAHOBIT day. Red Tag has been working with our Rainbow Ready partner org cohealth and they are all about living their values and making sure their sport is safe and accessible for everyone.

Get along and join the fun – they're keen to get you hooked!

When: Saturday 16 May, 10am – 2pm
Where: Fairlea Reserve Netball Pavillion, Yarra Bend Road Fairfield
Register: Places are limited, so be sure to register and secure your place
Registrations close on: 12 May
Parking: Images detailing parking options can be found lower down this page.
Register: https://www.redtagflyfishers.com.au/idahobit---registration.html

Address

200 Hoddle Street
Melbourne, VIC
3067

Telephone

+61468449925

Website

http://www.proud2play.org.au/

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