The Sport Inclusion Task Force is a flexible and informal coalition to end LGBTQI2S+ bias in sport through education for and promotion of LGBTQI2S+ inclusion in Canadian sport.

Our objectives

Sport organizations (at all levels) in Canada are aware of how LGBTQI2S+ inclusion is part of making sport safer, and free from maltreatment.
Sport organizations in Canada have the capacity (knowledge, skills, and abilities) and commitment to make Canadian sport safer and more welcoming to those who are LGBTQI2S+.
Sport organizations in Canada take meaningful and multidimensional action to make Canadian sport safer and more welcoming for those who are LGBTQI2S+.
Canadian sport is safer and more welcoming for all who are LGBTQI2S+.

Leadership & support

The LGBTQI2S+ Sport Inclusion Task Force Coordinating Committee is responsible for coordinating and leading meetings and overseeing the implementation of action items.

The Coordinating Committee is comprised of Canadian Women and Sport, PGA of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary and Challenge Accepted Collective.

Our priority activities

Annual priorities for the LGBTQI2S+ SITF will be determined based on consultation with the LGBTQI2S+ SITF members and form the basis of action for that year.
Each priority project will be led or supported by a member of the LGBTQI2S+ SITF CC, and supplemented by other expertise as needed, including but not limited to members of the LGBTQI2S+ SITF.
The SITF meets monthly for 60 minutes via Zoom. The first half of the meeting focuses on building members’ capacity to do their LGBTQI2S+ inclusion in sport work through guest speakers and / or discussions on a particular topic. The second half focuses on sharing updates on SITF priorities and identifying emerging issues and opportunities in Canadian sport.

Why it’s important

Sport should be a safe space for all athletes and it’s our responsibility as sport leaders to provide education on LGBTQ+ for our members in order to create a community where Inclusion and diversity is an expected part of our shared sport experience. These learning opportunities set the stage for open conversations which create a sport community, where athletes can be themselves without fear of reprisal.

Pamela Julian,
Executive Director – Ringette Ontario

The Sport Inclusion Task Force led an LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Education session at our Annual Meeting, which was both impactful and emotional for our members. It opened eyes to the challenges faced by the community and brought forward personal responses from a number of our members. It has motivated us to make inclusion a top of mind issue through education, programming and related policy development.

Hugh Mitchener,
CEO Softball Canada

Who can join

Any sport affiliated organization or other entity committed to, and working towards, making sport safer and more welcoming to all who are LGBTQI2S+.

Any individual committed to and working towards LGBTQI2S+ inclusion in sport.

Join the SITF now

Latest article

Paul Poirier on Pride, Progress, and the Next Generation of Queer Athletes

Jan 13, 2022

Lance Chung | Glory Media | June 11, 2021 Athletes have always held a special role within society. As ambassadors of their sport, their communities, and (if they’re the best) their countries, they take on an immense amount of pressure and responsibility to be role...

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Latest resource

Emerging Scholars video: Mustafa Karacam

At the time of recording this video (June 2021), Mustafa Karacam was a Ph.D. candidate at Queen’s University. In this video, Mustafa discusses his research on trans athlete activism in the Canadian context, which he notes began in and around the early 2000s. Many...

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Need support?

If you or someone close to you are in crisis and need immediate support, please contact:

Canadian Sport Helpline