LGBTQIA+
The London Raiders is a London based mixed-gender softball club that is predominantly LGBTQIA+. Trans and non-binary people are welcome in our sport and our club, and we will make active efforts to address barriers to participation. We acknowledge the particular and pernicious structural discrimination trans women currently face in sports participation. Our LGBTQIA+ heritage is a really important part of who we are.
For over 30 years, Raiders has provided a safe and inclusive space for all. We pride ourselves in being open not only to all members of the community but also our allies.
We’re really proud to have played a part in advocating for more inclusive policies within the leagues we play in. Today, the British Softball Federation recognises players can identify anywhere along the gender spectrum and has revised the rules of our sport to make members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel more welcome within our sport. Members of the Raiders community were key in championing this development.
STATEMENTS FROM OUR AFFILIATES
Pride Sport: “Non-binary people have existed throughout time and culture, but binary gender organisation in UK culture may render non-binary people and experiences largely invisible. Furthermore, the current organisation of sport and physical activity along a rigid gender binary may result in amplified experiences of exclusion for this marginalised group of participants.”
BSUK: "We recognise that people defining as gender non-binary are defined as neither male nor female... We recognise that trans players can identify anywhere along the gender spectrum... For the purposes of these variations, we are defining genders as female, male and non-binary."
BSL: “Softball in the UK has a long history of being a welcoming and inclusive sport for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and this is supported by a survey carried out by BSUK in 2016, which suggested that 14% of players identify as LGBTQ+, compared to roughly 8% of the population as a whole.”