CEO Foreword

Touch Football Australia (TFA) has long been committed to providing a place on the field for everyone, delivering a sport that everyone can play. To ensure we are living up to these standards we need to provide a safe, fun and inclusive environment that is accessible to all people, including those of diverse sexualities and genders.

Being an inclusive organisation not only reflects our core values, it also reflects the ever changing diversity of our local communities. We celebrate equality and diversity; in sexuality, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, intersex status, cultural background, ethnicity, location, religion, political beliefs, life stage, ability and skill.

Since our sport’s inception, Touch Football has been helping people lead happy, healthy and active lives; uniting people, families and communities across the country and creating lifelong friendships and memories. By adopting these guidelines our hope is that trans and gender diverse people all across Australia can feel welcome, accepted and comfortable so that they too can enjoy the many benefits our sport has to offer.

While we have taken giant leaps in recent times in equality, diversity and inclusion we have a long way to go if we are going to play our part in enhancing the lives of trans and gender diverse people. Sport is proven to boost the health and wellbeing of those who participate; unfortunately, research also shows sport is considered hostile and unwelcoming to young people with diverse sexualities and genders.

Almost 40% of trans and gender diverse people aged 18 years and over have been diagnosed with anxiety (almost 14% higher than the general population) while 57.2% of trans and gender diverse people aged 18 years and over have been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime. Alarmingly, 35% of transgender people aged 18 and over have attempted suicide in their lifetime, compared to 3.2% of the general population.

Not only can sport improve lives; but by adopting inclusive guidelines such as these we will save lives.

In Touch Football, there is a place on our field for everyone, exactly as you are.