The Dutch government aims for a tolerant sport climate, based on respect, equality and sporting together. In this sport environment there should be a place for everybody, also for homosexuals athletes. With the programme “Simply being gay” The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS) stimulates the emancipation of homosexuals. One of the topics within this programme of VWS is aimed at sport. The programme Sport & Tolerance pays attention to several elements within the social acceptance of homosexual sportsmen and sportswomen and to the social inclusion and exclusion mechanisms experienced by homosexual sportsmen and -women. The NSA is responsible for the implementation of the program Sport & Tolerance.
The NSA is a national value-oriented sports organisation that aims for developing and modernizing a sustainable culture of recreational sports and exercise. Everyone is able to participate in recreational sport regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, religion and physical abilities. Sportsmen can decide themselves where, with whom and how they want to experience and practice sport. The context in which sport and exercise takes place is variously shaped and dynamic. Individuals and groups organise themselves in communities of a permanent nature and derive their identity from shared standards and values. We respect these communities and their identities and we would like to support these groups of sportsmen make the right choices for a livelong and active lifestyle.
The NSA would like to contribute to a better sports environment:
* In which homosexuals are allowed to freely express themselves without hiding their sexual preferences
* In which homosexuals are able to practice the sport they prefer
* In which policymakers and sports technical staff make a positive contribution to the social acceptance of homosexuals
* In which diversity are socially accepted
* In which discrimination and a sense of insecurity are fought against
The NSA would like to achieve the above by participating actively within the alliance and by executing different projects. One of the projects is: “Sport & Tolerance across the borders”. The objective of the project is: learning by exchanging of homosexual emancipation policies on a European level. Through learning, sharing knowledge and experience, the NSA aims to contribute to an increase of the social acceptance of gays in sports and other settings in The Netherlands and Europe. As a part of “Sport & Tolerance across the borders’ the NSA is now starting an inventory of the organizations, partners and best practices in Europe.
Inventory Results are:
- An understanding of the European field in terms of social acceptance of homosexuality in sports
- An inventory of international best practices sport in European countries
- An inventory of European countries, training programs
EGLSF is asked to support the NSA in contacting foreign sport organizations operating on the theme of social acceptance of homosexuals in sport. Organizations active in agenda setting and awareness projects.
The NSA and EGLSF would like you to fill in and return the organizational profile in the annex. Please return your profile before December 1, 2009 to lou@eglsf.info. It will help us to create an overview of activities in the field of social acceptance of gays in sport in Europe and will to further deepening of this learning trajectory in 2010.