Council of Europe

 

Sport sector of the Council of Europe: Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in LGBT field of work

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) has decided to focus its efforts on promoting LGBT issues in relation to sport in 2012. A range of activities are carried out, focusing on providing a fair access to sport for LGBTs (youth, athletes or volunteers) as well as using sport to facilitate the social inclusion of LGBTs.  Over the years, EPAS has developed a programme to promote diversity in and through sport, combating discrimination in sport on several grounds, including on sexual orientation, and using sport towards a more inclusive society.

This means in practice, the dissemination of a handbook on good practices on LGBT Inclusion in Sport, the support and organisation of conferences and workshops that gather various stakeholders (ie. NGOs and governmental experts from member states as well as sport federations). EPAS also supports a youth training course organised by ENGSO-Youth to develop material for a campaign to tackle homophobia in sport.

For more information on EPAS and its member states.

Partnership Activities

EPAS / EGLSF conferences:

• Split (Croatia), 2 March 2012 : “Conte[s|x]ting Sport: Conference for more Inclusive, Diverse and Sustainable Sport”

Speech by Maria Ochoa-Llido, Deputy to the Director of Human Rights and Anti-discrimination, Directorate General II (Democracy), Council of Europe,

• Utrecht (Netherlands), 11/12 October 2012: "Tackling Homophobia in European sports: the contribution of public authorities, the sport movement and researchers”
• Youth training programme organised on 4-7 May 2012 and 24 June-1 July 2012, by the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO Youth) at the EYC Budapest as part of the EPAS activities related to the theme “Youth Sport speaks out on TabooPhobia; developing a youth led campaign to challenge homophobia in and through sport"
• EuroGames in Budapest (Hungary), 28 June-1 July 2012:
• 5 days of sport: 14 sports, 3800 athletes, 2200 supporters, 4000 visitors
• 5 days of tourism and culture
• 5 days of conferences: human rights, minority issues, equal representation and business opportunities. EPAS will contribute to these events.

Documentation

• Handbook: Good practices on LGBT Inclusion in Sport.
  Author: Louise Englefield (European Gay & Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF))
  This handbook examines the reasons for the widespread and continued exclusion of LGBT people from mainstream sport, looks at the costs of this exclusion to sport and provides examples of good practice in working notably with young people to tackle homophobia in sport and to create more inclusive, tolerant sporting environments in which LGBT athletes can flourish (published by EPAS)
• PACE recommendation 1635 (2003) on Lesbians and Gays in Sport
• CM recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5
  IX. Sports

 

Joint venture

The EPAS Consultative Committee gathers representatives from international federations and sports movements, including the European Gay & Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF).