From the saddle: why belonging in sport has never mattered more
When I first sat on a friend’s Shetland pony called Toby when I was about 6 years old, I never wanted to get off. I was obsessed with their smell, the way they move and their tenderness.
As I grew up, a local farmer Mr Smeeth lent me a pony called Tommy and later I was loaned Frosty and Looby. I was a fearless child at pony club, put on the ponies that were ‘misbehaving’.
At 52 I am not as fearless as I was at 14 or as the world class riders taking on Badminton Horse Trials this week. Badminton is the iconic setting for one of the toughest three-day events in the world. The bond and trust between the horse and rider taking on this world-class challenge is inspiring.
But the love and bond I have with Boris (the smaller framed one with the white star on his face) and Obi (with the long white stripe) is just as strong and the absolute joy they bring me is vital to my mental and physical wellbeing.
Whilst many people who ride do not compete, that has always been the fun bit for me. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone, aiming to improve and seeking new goals.
Success at any level in sport – equestrian or otherwise – is built on trust, confidence and a sense of belonging. The equestrian community has always been a welcoming one for people from the LGBTQ+ community.
I want every single member of the LGBTQ+ community to feel they belong and to experience the mental and physical benefits of activity, exercise and movement – whether that be a gentle walk, a community club run or team sports. That is why the new era of the Rainbow Laces campaign matters so much to me.
While movement and exercise can an incredibly powerful force for connection and wellbeing, for too many people from the LGBTQ+ community, that sense of belonging is not guaranteed.
After extensive consultation we took the deliberate decision to shift the Rainbow Laces campaign to focus on exercise, movement and belonging. By signing the Proud Pledge clubs and bodies can make a commitment to create environments where LGBTQ+ people are and feel welcome: from inclusive policies to visible allyship and clear expectations of behaviour.
We have been inspired by the clubs and organisations who have shown their commitment to actively and visibly creating cultures of belonging. This really matters, at a time when some people, particularly trans+ people, are being and feeling excluded.
Next week, is Mental Health Awareness Week which is encouraging all of us to take action for our mental health. Activity, movement and exercise are one kind of action that many people already take, and our hope is that through working in partnership with the Rainbow Laces campaign we can encourage conversation, encourage action and amplify all the amazing initiatives that promote inclusion like Football vs Homophobia. Sport should be for everyone, and events like the Gay Games in Valencia this summer and the Euro Games in Cardiff in 2027 have been designed because LGBTQ+ people have not always felt welcome – and still don’t.
We need to create new norms about what is acceptable. That is why the multiple initiatives up and down the country from big to small – wearing a pair of Rainbow Laces, signing the Proud Pledge, coordinating weeks and months of action, establishing LGBTQ+ supporters clubs in football and rugby, setting up queer hiking groups, opening inclusive gyms and much more – are all helping to connect the LGBTQ+ community to activity, exercise, sport and nature.
And yet, we cannot ignore the wider context in which the Rainbow Laces campaign is happening. Evidence shows that mental ill health is increasing, including among young people. Activity, exercise and sport can play a vital role in supporting wellbeing, offering community, structure and a sense of achievement. But that only holds true if people feel confident enough to take part.
Fear of being judged, excluded or discriminated against can prevent us from trying new activities that could bring joy, stepping back from activities that give us joy and creating feelings of exclusion.
That is why belonging is not a “nice to have”. It is essential.
As we look ahead to global moments like the FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the stakes are clear. These events bring the world together. They can create hope and optimism, building unity and belonging. Or they can do the opposite.
When the LGBTQ+ community watch these global sporting events, they are not just seeing sport. They are also asking themselves: is there a place for me here? Can I be part of this?
If the answer is yes, whether as a competitor, spectator and supporter, sport has the power to bring people together in ways few other things can.
The visibility and success of Team LGBTQ+ at the winter and summer Olympics was joyful to see. It shows that change is happening, but in the current political environment domestically and globally progress is not inevitable.
That is why Rainbow Laces exists: to amplify the brilliant work that is happening, to encourage more conversations and to say to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community – we deserve to belong. We deserve community. We deserve to experience the joy and benefits of movement and activity, and we can take up and create space.
Creating inclusive exercise environments is not a one-off campaign or a moment in the calendar. It is an ongoing commitment that requires leadership, courage and collective effort.
As we head into Mental Health Awareness week, it is a timely reminder that there are disparities in mental health outcomes in the LGBTQ+ community. Exercise, activity and sport is not a universal panacea but it is an important part of the solution, so it is on all of us to keep advocating for inclusion, be visible in your efforts to include, work together to amplify inclusive spaces and where they don’t exist, do what we have always done so well as a community and create those spaces for ourselves.
