As part of Dublin Pride’s Health and Wellbeing week and GCN’s In & Out Festival, Sporting Pride have curated two exciting events for sports and fitness enthusiasts to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes!

On Wednesday, June 16 at 7 pm you can join us for a live discussion about LGBTQ+ inclusion in football in Ireland with Stephen Byrne, Dublin Devil’s FC Secretary Adam Kane and Sky Sport’s pundit and LGBTQ+ ally Graeme Souness. The live interview with Graeme, Adam and Stephen will cover a broad range of topics around male football, including:

• The lack of gay male footballers at an elite level
• Keeping your sexuality a “secret”
• Graeme’s experience with gay/bisexual footballers as a player and/or manager
• How would a player come out in football?
• What is being done at a grassroots level to make Irish football more LGBTQ+ inclusive and why LGBTQ+ clubs need to be an important part of any inclusion strategy.
• Q&A section with the live online audience.

The experienced broadcaster Stephen Byrne, who in 2017 produced and presented the ‘Playing Straight’ documentary about homophobia in football, will host the interview, taking Graeme and Adam through their personal experiences of LGBTQ+ male players at both professional and amateur levels.

Aidan Walsh, Chairperson of Sporting Pride, says

“We are delighted to facilitate this important webinar with Graeme, Stephen and Adam about LGBTQ+ inclusion in male football. With Ireland’s acceptance of the Marriage Referendum in 2015, the inspirational Katie McCabe as captain of Ireland’s international women’s team and a thriving LGBTQ+ club scene with Dublin Devils and Cork Rebels, Ireland has a unique opportunity to be world leaders in football’s ongoing battle with homophobia.”

On the following evening, Thursday, June 17 at 7.30 pm, you can join us once again for a discussion on LGBTQ+ Health and Fitness experiences with two professional personal trainers, podcast hosts and LGBTQ+ community members Georgina Hall and Declan Flynn.

This live discussion will also cover a variety of topics, including:

• Why community members should consider taking on a health and fitness journey and how to go about doing so
• Challenges facing the LGBTQ+ Community in relation to achieving better health outcomes
• How these two professionals mind their own health and wellbeing during this difficult time
• Motivational tips and advice for others in our community

Viewers will also have the opportunity to leave questions and comments for Georgina and Declan, who will respond towards the end of the event.

The deficits in the health and wellbeing of our community members have been highlighted through research for a number of years and it is important to open up discussions on how we might address this!

Both events will be streamed live simultaneously on GCN’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Tune into LGBTQ+ inclusion in football in Ireland on June 16 at 7 PM on YouTube or Facebook.

Join Georgina and Declan for a discussion on LGBTQ+ Health and Fitness experiences on June 17 at 7.30 PM on YouTube or Facebook.