Sport and LGBTQ Inclusion (with Dennis Quesnel)

Sport can be used as a tool for inclusion for all members of society if used correctly. However there remain many barriers for marginalized communities to participating in sports, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode we take a deeper dive into ways that sport can be used for inclusion, what some of the barriers are for people entering sports, and how we can start addressing them. We speak to Dennis Quesnel who is a queer sports enthusiast focusing on the promotion of inclusion and education in sport. They are a Project Management Officer at Egale Canada, an organization focused on 2SLGBTQI people and issues. Dennis has an academic background in human rights and social service work which have both developed his abilities in practicing empathy and allyship. Outside of work, you'll find them spending their time in the Canadian dodgeball community, with experience as a Coach, an Organizer, and most recently qualifying for Dodgeball Canada's 2020 National Championships. Dennis' goal is to create safer and more accessible spaces for all 2SLGBTQI people involved in sport and physical activity.  A note on abbreviations: LGBTQ+ is mostly used throughout the episode due to it being more generally applicable around the world. You may hear different abbreviations such as 2SLGBTQ+ or LGBTQI2S+ also used. 2S stands for two spirit and is term specific to indigenous peoples in North America, it refers to a person who embodies both a masculine and feminine spirit. There is a growing movement in North America to put 2S at the beginning of 2SLGBTQ+ to reflect the fact that indigenous people were here first and should be put first.  Resources for LGBTQ Inclusion:  Coach New Brunswick: http://coachnb.ca/lgbtqi2s-support/  Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports: https://cces.ca/sites/default/files/content/docs/pdf/cces-transinclusionpolicyguidance-e.pdf  Via Sport BC: https://www.viasport.ca/inclusion/lgbtqi2s  Canadian Women & Sport: https://womenandsport.ca/resources/publications/leading-the-way/  Canadian Olympic Committee: https://olympic.ca/education/one-team-2/  Transathlete.com: https://www.transathlete.com/  You Can Play: https://www.youcanplayproject.org/  Athlete Ally: https://www.athleteally.org/ --- Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the sport industry into the conversation! Send us an email at [email protected] Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SportsSocImpact Visit our website at https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/