Out and About (LGBTI+) SPORTS

14:00 – 15:30, Virginia

It has been 40 years since the first ‘GayOlympicGames’ in San Francisco as the first global attempt to innovate the field of sport to not only be diverse and inclusive of ‘gays’, but also a community owned, counter-nationalist, counter-normative and emancipatory experience. Meanwhile, sport has since become industrialized, and athletes are coming out and using their (social/media) platforms to advocate for LGBTI+ rights globally. What are the historic, geographic and class differences, challenges and obstacles for mainstream or recreational athletes, sport officials or even professionals around sport? This panel will gather prominent European athletes, activists, academics who have experienced the tensions of sport normativities and queer expressions.

Speakers:

• David Chen, Tennis Player, Mental/Happiness Coach, Activist
• Juliet Jacques, British Writer, Filmmaker, and Journalist
• Goran Rakonjac, Senior Event Manager
• Željko Blaće, Founder, qSPORT (moderator)