For many people sport is associated with teamwork, friendship and confidence, but for lots of young LGBT+ individuals the experience of sport can be far less positive.
When I think back to my own experiences of school PE lessons, I remember often being one of the last people chosen for team sports.
Whilst many young people enjoy sport from an early age, others can come away feeling excluded, judged or simply that sport is not for people 'like them'.
Research consistently shows that LGBT+ people participate in sport at lower rates than their non-LGBT+ peers and experiences of bullying, concerns about fitting in, fear of judgement and a lack of visible role models can all contribute to young people not engaging in physical activity.
This matters because sport and physical activity offer far more than physical health benefits – they provide opportunities to build friendships, develop confidence, improve mental wellbeing and create a sense of belonging.
At Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons' Trust, we believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to experience those benefits and that is why physical activity has become one of our key strategic priorities.
Rather than expecting young LGBT+ people to adapt to environments where they may not feel welcome, we co-create spaces specifically designed to help them feel safe, supported and encouraged to participate.
Throughout the year, our members take part in a wide variety of low-level activities, such as ice skating, bowling, walking or cycling, to encourage them to be more physically active.
But what makes these experiences truly successful is not simply the activity itself, but the environment in which they take place.
Young people are surrounded by their LGBT+ peers, who share their experiences and are also supported by trained staff and volunteers too.
This environment is key because they get to see LGBT+ adults acting as role models and participating alongside them and, most importantly, they feel free to focus on enjoying the activity rather than worrying about whether they belong.
Rather than expecting young LGBT+ people to adapt to environments where they may not feel welcome, we co-create spaces specifically designed to help them feel safe, supported and encouraged to participate.
Mosaic Summer Camp can be a prime example of where it is taken to another level.
Each year, young LGBT+ individuals aged 12-17 spend a week together taking part in outdoor adventure activities, team challenges and sports that many have never had the confidence to try before.
Whether it is kayaking across a lake, abseiling off a cliff or building a raft, young individuals are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones in an environment built on acceptance and encouragement.
The results can be transformative and young people who arrive feeling anxious often leave having discovered new strengths, new friendships and a newfound confidence in their ability to participate in physical activity.
What’s more, for many our summer camp becomes the first place where they experience sport without fear of judgment.
For our young adults, those aged 18–25, Pride Youth Games provides a similar opportunity.
The event brings together LGBT+ youth organisations from across the UK to take part in friendly sporting activities to have fun and to build community connections.
The emphasis is not on elite performance but on participation, on enjoyment and on the creation of positive experiences that’ll encourage lifelong engagement with physical activity.
These programmes demonstrate an important lesson for the wider sports sector: when young LGBT+ individuals are provided with welcoming, inclusive and supportive environments, participation follows.
The challenge is not fixing a lack of interest in sport, but ensuring that young people can access sport in spaces where they feel they belong and where they don’t have to worry about being LGBT+.
At Mosaic, we have seen firsthand how transformative those opportunities can be.
Sport has the power to improve health, strengthen communities and build confidence, so by creating environments where young LGBT+ individuals feel safe to participate, we can ensure that more young people experience those benefits and discover that sport really can be for them.