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.

02/09/2026

Sideline behaviour has a lot to do with whether rainbow players keep turning up. Proud 2 Play's bystander training gives ground managers, match officials, parents and spectators a calm way to step in when discrimination shows up.

If you run a venue or a league, we can run a practical session with your people. Email [email protected].

All our profits go back into making Australian sport and recreation safer for LGBTQIA+ people.

27/08/2026

Today is Wear It Purple Day, and this year’s theme is Colours of Courage.

Courage in sport doesn’t just happen on the scoreboard or in big public statements. Most of the time, it looks like showing up to training as your authentic self, asking a coach to use the right pronouns or an ally stepping in when a teammate is copping quiet exclusion in the changeroom.

For youth, finding a sports club or recreation space where you feel genuinely safe and backed by your team can be life changing.

To every young LGBTQIA+SB person getting out on the court, track, field, or rink: we’re working every day to make sure Australian sport backs you up. If you’re a club, coach or volunteer putting in the real work to build inclusive environments, keep going. Every LGBTQIA+ person deserves to feel welcome in sport and recreation.

24/07/2026

Looking to build a more inclusive, welcoming culture at your sporting club?

Join the team at Proud 2 Play for a quick 45-minute online information session on our National Rainbow Ready Program.

Whether you’re a club leader, committee member, coach, volunteer, or administrator, this session will break down:

✅ How the program supports grassroots sport
✅ Training, resources, and accreditation
✅ Available funding options so your club isn't out of pocket
✅ A live Q&A to see if it’s the right fit for your club

We’re running two convenient sessions on Wednesday, 5 August:

Lunchtime Session | 12:30pm – 1:15pm AEST
Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/rainbow-ready-info-session-aug26

Evening Session | 7:00pm – 7:45pm AEST
Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/rainbow-ready-info-session-august-evening

Come along, ask questions, and discover how to make your club a safer, more inclusive place for LGBTQIA+ folks.

14/07/2026

It’s International Non-Binary People’s Day and in sport, non-binary inclusion is often treated as an afterthought. We’re working to change that. We’re here to ensure non-binary folks have access to safe, supported pathways in community sport.

If your club is looking to update your gender inclusion policies, reach out. Let’s make the changes necessary to ensure everyone gets a fair go.

08/07/2026

For fifty years, NAIDOC Week has been a platform for truth, protest and celebrating a culture that has been thriving for millennia.

Sport has always been about community and connection but the systems we navigate today haven't always honoured that. Swipe through to see what we're reflecting on for NAIDOC Week.

Do you have First Nations athletes or programs that inspire you? Tag them below so we can acknowledge their contribution to our sporting landscape.

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.

Address

200 Hoddle Street
Melbourne, VIC
3067

Telephone

+61468449925

Website

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

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