Mission
The mission of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is to identify strategies and provide recommendations to International Pride Softball leadership and delegates that promote a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and diversity for all its members regardless of race, creed, economic background, immigration status, gender identity and sexual orientation, and especially people of color, women, transgender and nonbinary people, people with visible and non-visible disabilities, people in recovery, and others who have been historically denied the ability to participate in softball. Our goal is to enhance the experience of inclusion of its diverse membership and to further expand upon International Pride Softball core values.
The LGBTQIA2+ community, encompassing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and other non-heteronormative identities, represents a rich tapestry of human diversity. It is essential to acknowledge and celebrate the unique identities, experiences, and contributions of LGBTQIA2+ individuals while also understanding the historical and ongoing challenges they face.
- Diversity and Identity: Each letter in LGBTQIA2+ signifies a distinct group with its own history, culture, and experiences. Respecting and recognizing each identity within the spectrum is crucial for fostering an inclusive environment.
- Challenges and Discrimination: Despite significant progress in rights and visibility, LGBTQIA2+ individuals often encounter discrimination, prejudice, and inequality. These challenges can manifest in various aspects of life, including, but not limited to: healthcare, employment, education, and personal relationships. Addressing these issues requires concerted efforts at both individual and systemic levels.
- Support and Allyship: True allyship involves more than passive acceptance. It requires active support, advocacy, and the willingness to listen and learn. Allies play a critical role in amplifying LGBTQIA2+ voices and working towards societal change.
- Mental Health and Well-being: The mental health and well-being of LGBTQIA2+ individuals are profoundly affected by societal attitudes and acceptance. Providing safe spaces, mental health resources, and supportive communities is vital for their well-being.
- Education and Awareness: Education is a powerful too in combating ignorance and fostering acceptance. Comprehensive education about LGBTQIA2+ issues, histories, and contributions help create a more informed and empathetic society.
- Intersectionality: It’s important to recognize that LGBTQIA2+ individuals also have intersecting identities related to race, ethnicity, gender, class, ability, and more. These intersections can compound experiences of discrimination and must be understood and addressed in any discussion about LGBTQIA2+ issues.
The acronym LGBTQIA2+ stands for a broad and inclusive spectrum of sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. We recognized this acronym and believe it is designed to be inclusive and acknowledge the diversity of experiences and identities within the LGBTQIA2+ community. Here’s a breakdown of each component:
- L: Lesbian – Women who have an affectional orientation to other women.
- G: Gay – Men who have affectional orientation to other men, and sometimes used as a general term for homosexual individuals.
- B: Bisexual – Individuals who have affectional orientation to both men and women.
- T: Transgender – Individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
- Q: Queer – “Queer” is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual or not cisgender.
- I: Intersex – Individuals born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.
- A: Asexual – “Asexual” refers to individuals who do not experience sexual attraction
- 2S: Two-Spirit – A term used by some Indigenous cultures in North American to describe a person who embodies both masculine and feminine qualities.
- +: Plus – This symbol includes those who are questioning, other sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions that are not specifically covered by other letters in the acronym.
International Pride Softball Statement in Affirmation of Black Lives:
International Pride Softball believes in the importance of equality, justice, fair treatment, and inclusivity within our softball community. We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and protected—in our community, tournaments, and events.
In our pursuit of this goal, we pledge to:
- Create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all players and partners, especially our Black athletes.
- Seek out and engage with Black community networks locally and internationally to enhance our recruitment efforts for Black LGBTQ+ athletes.
- Actively work to identify any policy, practice, or behavior at International Pride Softball that reflects racism and dismantle them, holding ourselves accountable in these efforts.
- Use our platform to advocate for racial justice in areas that intersect with concerns affecting the Black LGBTQ+ community.
These actions are integral to our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within our beloved community of LGBTQ+ softball. At International Pride Softball, we are dedicated to upholding these values and ensuring that Black lives are respected and valued in every aspect of our organization.
International Pride Softball believes that all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression, deserve to live authentically and without fear of discrimination or prejudice. Transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit people are an integral part of our diverse human experience, and their identities should be respected, celebrated, and protected. Everyone has the right to express their gender in a way that feels true to themselves, and we believe it is crucial that International Pride Softball fosters an environment of inclusivity, acceptance, and affirmation for all genders.
International Pride Softball will actively take steps to ensure the inclusion and support of transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals on and off the field. This includes implementing policies that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression, continuing to expand and enhance our footprint on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and offering gender-neutral facilities and forms to accommodate all identities. Additionally, International Pride Softball will actively look to seek out and amplify the voices of trans, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals in decision-making processes, and advocate for legal protections against discrimination at the local and international level.
In our ongoing commitment to inclusivity and diversity, International Pride Softball stands firmly against the alarming and misguided hate crimes targeting members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Discrimination and violence have no place in our society and certainly not within iPrideSoftball. As part of our unwavering position against hate, bigotry, and xenophobia, iPrideSoftball is dedicated to actively identifying and dismantling any anti-AAPI policies, practices, or behaviors in our organization. We pledge to hold ourselves accountable in these efforts and provide constant support and a safe space for our members in the AAPI community. Together, we must speak out, educate ourselves, and take meaningful action to build a more inclusive and compassionate world.
International Pride Softball wishes to acknowledge and honor the Indigenous communities of this region, and recognize that Las Vegas is situated on the traditional homelands of the Nuwu (noo·woo) and Southern Paiute (pai·oot) People. We also recognize and respect the 27 sovereign tribal nations in the state of Nevada.
We offer gratitude for the land itself, for those who have stewarded it for generations, and for the opportunity to visit, meet, play, and be in community with this land.
We encourage everyone in this space to engage in continued learning about the Indigenous peoples who work and live on this land since time immemorial – including the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe and the Moapa (moh·aa·puh) Band of Paiutes.
Sources: University of Nevada Las Vegas and the Association for the Study of Higher Education
DEI Resource Links
- Gender Terminology Guide – GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network)
- LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary – UC Davis
- National Center for Transgender Equality
- Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation – NIH National Library of Medicine
- Resources – HRC
- What is Intersectionality | Queer 101 | The Advocate (Youtube)
