Connecting Conversations With You Can Play
We had the pleasure of speaking with Jonas Worth from You Can Play, an organization built to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches, and fans. They aim to achieve this by creating a community of allies that is able to foster a true sense of belonging.
In this Connecting Communities talk, Jonas and Jaydlin go through the process of building the organization, which was created in response to the tragic passing of Brendan Burke, a pioneer in advocacy against homophobia in hockey.
You Can Play has partners in USports, the NHL, NWHL, Women’s soccer, and much more. In these leagues, YCP gives training in LGBTQ+ issues and inclusion as well as sponsoring “Pride Nights'' in which players wear rainbow jerseys, stick tape, as well as other Pride festivities. The goal of You Can Play is to create a new culture in sport where players can be whoever they are in the dressing room, fans can have a safe experience in the bleachers, and coaches can have equal opportunity to lead. Although the organization has seen progress, there is still a long way to go in shifting the culture of sport.
Jonas states that fighting for LGBTQ+ equality in sport is also fighting for race and gender equality, as their mission is to create a safe space for all. This intersectionality is at the forefront of the organization, where they look to shift society away from the narrative that women/men, LGBTQ+, and POC players can’t play certain sports.
You Can Play also provides training for corporations, sports teams, etc. with their in-person training, in which they are shifting to the online space due to COVID-19. Jonas says they are looking to keep these digital training sessions in the future as it allows for a broader reach of the valuable information.
We are proud to partner with You Can Play and fight for a safe, inclusive future for our LGTBQ+ and POC youth. If you are interested in learning more or receiving LGBTQ+ training for your company/school/organization, visit the You Can Play website at https://www.youcanplayproject.org/ . You can also follow them on FaceBook (@YouCanPlayTeam), Twitter (@YouCanPlayTeam), and Instagram (@youcanplayteam).
