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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

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, gender expression 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.

Supporting our community

embracing diversity

The LGBTQIA2S+ community, encompassing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and other non-heteronormative/nonbinary identities, represents a rich tapestry of human diversity. It is essential to acknowledge and celebrate the unique identities, experiences, and contributions of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals while also understanding the historical and ongoing challenges they face.

diversity & identity

Each letter in LGBTQIA2S+ 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 & discrimination

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 LGBTQIA2S+ voices and working towards societal change.

support & 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 LGBTQIA2S+ voices and working towards societal change.

mental health & well-being

The mental health and well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ 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 & awareness

Education is a powerful too in combating ignorance and fostering acceptance. Comprehensive education about LGBTQIA2S+ issues, histories, and contributions help create a more informed and empathetic society.

intersectionality

It’s important to recognize that LGBTQIA2S+ 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 LGBTQIA2S+ issues.

INITIALISM & DEFINITIONS

RECOGNITION OF LGBTQIA2S+

The initialism LGBTQIA2S+ stands for a broad and inclusive spectrum of sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. We recognized this initialism and believe it is designed to be inclusive and acknowledge the diversity of experiences and identities within the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Here’s a breakdown of each component:

L: LESBIAN

A person who identifies as either woman or nonbinary and who experiences attraction to the same or similar genders.

G: GAY

A person who experiences attraction to people of the same gender as themselves. It can be used by individuals of any gender but is often used to refer specifically to men who are attracted to the same or similar genders.

B: bISEXUAL

A person who experiences attraction to both people of their own gender and people of gender different from their own.

T: TRANSGENDER

Someone whose gender identity and/or gender presentation does not match their assigned sex and gender. Often used as an umbrella term to include many other gender variant identities.

Q: QUEER

Formerly derogatory slang term used to identify LGBTQIA2S+ people. Some members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community have embraced and reinvented this term as a positive and proud political identifier when speaking among and about themselves.

I: INTERSEX

Refers to individuals for whom chromosomal, hormonal, or anatomical sex characteristics combine in a variety of ways that fall outside of medical and social classifications of male and female.

A: ASEXUAL

A person who does not experience sexual attraction, and/or who has little to no interest in sexual activity. When used as an umbrella term, it encompasses identities reflecting a range of experiences and degrees of interest in sexual intimacy.

2S: TWO-SPIRIT

An umbrella term for the many Indigenous traditional identities forcefully suppressed by colonization. The term honors the fluid and diverse nature of gender and attraction and its connection to community and spirituality. An individual may choose to use this term instead of, or in addition to, identifying as LGBTQIA.

+: 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 initialism

BLACK LIVES MATTER

STATEMENT IN AFFIRMATION OF BLACK LIVES

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 LGBTQIA2S+ 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 LGBTQIA2S+ community.

These actions are integral to our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within our beloved community of LGBTQIA2S+ 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.

TRANSGENDER, NONBINARY, AND TW0-SPIRIT INCLUSION

STATEMENT FOR TRANSGENDER, NONBINARY, AND TWO-SPIRIT INCLUSION

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.

ASIAN-AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AAPI) HATE

STATEMENT AGAINST ASIAN-AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AAPI) HATE

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 pro vide 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.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The International Pride Softball community recognizes that it is important to understand our history–especially histories too often hidden from us. Under our feet, lay the ebb and flow of human migrations, civilizations, and the reworking of the land on which we reside. We want to recognize their civilization, cultures, and centuries of stewardship to this land and remember the catastrophe brought upon them by European and American conquest.

We acknowledge the ancestral and contemporary lands we meet on today are the original homelands of the Hopewell Culture, Kaskaskia (cass-kah-skee-uh), Myaamia (me-ah-me-uh), & Shawandasse Tula (shah-wahn-dah-see too-luh) Tribal Nations.

We honor and respect the Indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed from, and who are still connected to, these territories.

It is our responsibility to own our part in their continued displacement, incorporate Indigenous knowledge into our work, and establish meaningful, reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous communities. You can find whose land you reside on by visiting native-land.ca.

Columbus Metro is still home to over 1,500 Indigenous/Native Americans representing several Indigenous identities.

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