USA Swimming has released the organization’s first-ever Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) Cultural Inclusion Resource Guide to be launched during the United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. This resource guide will help coaches, parents and clubs provide a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes. The guide was created to provide resources and tools so that members may enjoy a safe and inclusive environment.
This is one of many projects the organization’s Diversity & Inclusion team uses to create a culture of inclusion and opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to race, age, income, ethnicity, religion, gender expression and sexual orientation. By providing educational tools at all levels for staff, LSCs, coaches and athletes, USA Swimming is creating deeper relationships with and providing meaningful resources to underrepresented communities.
“We want to help break down barriers by making a commitment to the LGBTQ community and this LGBTQ guide is a huge step forward,” said Mariejo “MJ” Truex, USA Swimming Director of Programs and Services. “This guide highlights various aspects of USA Swimming policies and procedures and provides research, statistics, educational resources and best practices for those in our industry that are addressing the needs of our LQBTQ athletes.”
During the United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) Convention, the USA Swimming Diversity & Inclusion team will be on-site providing multiple resources to attendees including scenario-based training, committee meetings, LSC Diversity Camp opportunities and a D&I programming award. USA Swimming is also sponsoring a LGBTQ Alliance Breakfast with keynote speaker, Schuyler Bailar, member of the Harvard varsity men’s swim team and the first openly transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. Bailar is also featured in the guide along with athletes Tom Luchsinger, Bruce Hayes, G Ryan, Abi Liu, Chip Peterson and Jeff Commings.
The LGBTQ Resource Guide can be found here.
With the creation of the Cultural Inclusion Resource Guides, the Diversity and Inclusion Team is providing tools that will foster an inclusive environment and improve representation at all levels of the sport. The LGBTQ guide is the third in a series of ‘Cultural Inclusion’ guides – an African-American and Hispanic/Latino guide in both English and Spanish were released earlier this year; a guide for Asian-American and Native American communities will be released in coming months.
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
Courtesy of USA Swimming.
Sorry bigots, your rock got lifted. Scramble for another one. Look into bathrooms, I have heard that one is promising…
On the plus side, USA Swimming has been pushing for all boys to wear jammers to get the gay out of swimming. Emails are going out to deemphasize the need for speedos. Now all the kids on my kid’s team that wear briefs are “f-gs.” Yeah, no need for anti-bullying or LGBTQ policies.
This PC crap has got to stop; it’s ruining our country. What’s next, equal rights for all?! #trump2016
Where is the inclusion guide for those children who feel they are wrongfully imprisoned in their bodies and wish to become dogs? This is an outrage!! USA Swimming discriminating once again. Shame.
Page 17 – discuss with elementary age kids.
Program leads to early sexualization of kids and should be avoided.
Wow. Lots of swim fans are apparently huge bigots.
What a massive disappointment.
Seriously. I’ve been discriminating against my own left hand for years.
There’s that vaunted leftist tolerance we keep hearing about.
This veiled anti-gay sentiment is exactly the same kind of I-don’t-want-to-change mindset this organization ran into in the 90’s and early 2000’s when dealing with sexual abuse. Hooray for USAS being a leader this time. Boo to all of the Neanderthals who can’t seem to accept change and progress.
It isn’t anti-gay. Transgenders deserve our compassion and mental health support. But we need to protect children–somethat at which US Swimming has failed spectacularly at times.
Pathetic. How about let’s all swim fast, coaches no messing with your swimmers, and no men in girls’ locker rooms?
Bandwagon?… Kind of makes light of an important issue. The problem of descrimination is widespread. USA swimming does need its own policy. This is a necessary step
Amen
Choo choo! Jump on that bandwagon.
This is ridiculous. Isn’t it the job of USA swimming employees to make a safe environment for EVERYONE?? Isn’t that what USA Swimming has always made a priority? This is just a public pleaser. it won’t change anything.
What’s the matter “Really?” Don’t you want USA Swimming to jump on the bandwagon like everyone else? It seems as every organization is in lockstep. As a lefty, I am waiting for my bandwagon since I have to compete against so many righties. At the rate that this country is “progressing” I’m sure that my bandwagon will come soon.
Ever heard of the libertarians, Gary Johnson is the presidential candidate for them and they are right on economics and left on social issues. In fact the LP is getting about 7 percent in polls which is high for them. So, its not just left versus right but other philosophies as well.
He’s referring to bring left handed
*being
Correct, I’m left handed. I’m offended by how pace clocks move clockwise (to the right). This is a daily reminder of the right handed majority control over me
Ever heard of the libertarians, Gary Johnson is the presidential candidate for them and they are right on economics and left on social issues. In fact the LP is getting about 7 percent in polls which is high for them. So, its not just left versus right but other philosophies as well.