Special Training for Sports Clubs and Athletic Organizations to Promote DEI Across the Industry. Fostering LGBTQ+ Supporting Leaders in Sports - "Ally Sports Leader Training" Conducted -

NPO Pride House Tokyo, aiming to raise awareness and realize an inclusive society, conducted the "Ally Sports Leader Training" over three sessions for individuals involved in sports clubs and athletic organizations, with the objective of promoting DEI.

As DEI* becomes more widespread, improving the environment within the sports sector is also crucial. In recent years, the number of LGBTQ+ athletes participating in the Olympics has increased annually, with approximately 200 participating in the Paris Games. However, the number of Japanese athletes remains at zero, indicating a lag in efforts. With LGBTQ+ individuals, who constitute about 8% of the domestic population, actively participating in sports, it is expected that fan bases will diversify, relationships between clubs, companies, and communities will improve, and the number of participants in sports will increase.

This program goes beyond basic knowledge of LGBTQ+ to cover challenges and necessary responses in sports settings, as well as practical actions that organizations can implement. The training aimed to foster "Ally Sports Leaders" who deepen their understanding and act together in their respective fields, providing concrete steps for promoting diversity within the sports industry.

◆Details of the Training Program

On the first day, Aya Noguchi, an associate professor at Seijo University and deputy director of the International Research Center for Sports and Gender Equality, gave a lecture on "Basic Knowledge of LGBTQ+ and the Current Situation and Challenges in the Sports World." In addition to a fundamental understanding of LGBTQ+, she explained how sports have historically developed under systems and norms that assume "able-bodied, heterosexual cisgender men," and discussed the structural issues arising from this. She also presented the discrimination, prejudice, and systemic difficulties faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in sports settings, illustrating the challenges with concrete data, such as one in four people feeling resistance to the clothing they wear during sports. Regarding transgender athletes, she highlighted that while transgender women tend to face more scrutiny, the inequalities faced by transgender men are less visible, emphasizing the need to re-examine the system design and perspectives within the sports industry.