Proud 2 Play

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Today on Le***an Visibility Day, we’re celebrating all le****ns including cis, trans, and those who exist in-between or are still navigating their identity. Visibility can look different for everyone and we stand proudly with those who are out, those who are questioning, and those who aren't yet ready to share their truth.

This year’s theme for is Health and Wellbeing and we know that sport can be a huge part of everyone's health and wellbeing. From teammates who are our vital social networks to coaches who become mentors and community sports clubs that provide space to belong, these connections are important to us.

To every le***an who’s shown up on the field, in the gym, or at the pool - we see you. And to those still finding their way into sport, we’re here to help make that path safer and more welcoming.