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ueensland University of Technology (QUT) has announced a partnership with Pride in Sport, aiming to boost support for university athletes who identify as LGBTIQA+.

QUT director of student services and wellbeing, Adam Williams, said it was important to celebrate diversity at QUT, as September is Pride Month at QUT, with QUT Sport celebrating pride all month.

“Inclusivity is a core institutional value and we’re striving to ensure that every member of the university can be their authentic self, whilst striving to achieve their full potential while studying or working at QUT,” Williams said.

“Empowering our students and staff who identify as LGBTIQA+ directly contributes to our strength as a higher education institution and it’s essential that we continue to maintain and further develop ourselves in this area,” he said.

QUT sport coordinator, Emily Rosemond, said the partnership will see LGBTIQA+ awareness training for all QUT Sport staff, with education programs set to run on inclusivity on and off the field, along with a review of sport policies to ensure they are inclusive of LGBTIQA+ staff, members, volunteers, officials, and their families.

“Sport and recreation activities are an integral component of the student experience and it’s important that we are committed to providing an inclusive environment in all of our programs and activities,” Rosemond said.

“We’re really looking forward to working with the team at Pride in Sport to achieve better health outcomes underpinned by best practice as benchmarked by the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Pride in Sport Index,” she said.

In their efforts to lead the way for LGBTIQA+ inclusivity and acceptance, QUT also has a partnership with Pride in Diversity, focusing on the workplace, HR and organisational change.

Since the creation of the QUT LGBTIQA+ Action Plan, QUT has started a new LGBTIQA+ staff network, built all-gender facilities on campus, increased ALLY training program, run campaigns and events recognising LGBTIQA+ days of significance, run forums on diverse genders, sexualities, and sex characteristics, ensured LGBTIQA+ voices represent the university, and led a united SEQ university presence at Brisbane PRIDE via University Unity.