The LGBT Sport Podcast

Lizzie Seedhouse still remembers the day she saw an advert for her first football team.

She was reading a newspaper at her grandma’s house in Sheffield – and from that moment onwards, her love of the beautiful game has been an ever-present part of her life.

Lizzie played for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies, then backed herself to move to America and prove herself at a collegiate level – thanks in no small part to the film ‘Bend It Like Beckham’.

Now she’s Senior Vice President at the USL (United Soccer League) – which is North America’s largest and fastest growing soccer organisation - and it’s there that Lizzie has helped the League launch its ‘Forever Proud’ Project, which focuses on making sure LGBTQ+ fans, employees and partners feel like they belong, not only in the game but in society as a whole.

This is a fascinating chat with Lizzie about that initiative and so much more – her life in the States and early relationship with soccer; how sport has the ability to drive social change; why visibility is important; and what she misses about living in the UK.

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A little later this month, two cricket teams will step out onto a pitch in the UK to play each other for the first time – and make a little bit of history.

The match between Graces and Unicorns is the first time that two LGBTQ+ sides have ever had a game of cricket against each other.

And that’s because, up until last year, Graces were the world’s only inclusive side – with the Unicorns only established in 2020.

The game is happening on Sunday 23rd May at 1pm, 40 overs a side – and we thought that was the perfect excuse to get a roundtable together to talk all about inclusivity in men’s cricket.

Up first, you’re going to hear from:

Manish Modi and Leo Skyner from Graces.

And then after that, you’ll hear from Henry Cowen, who is the Communications Manager for England’s Women’s Team – and has his own take on the importance of inclusivity in the game.

It’s a bumper conversation, full of great chat for cricket fans – and we think you’ll really like it.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Graces

It has more member clubs than some national governing bodies, and was set up to make sure people in the LGBTQ+ community were able to enjoy rugby as their authentic selves.

But International Gay Rugby (IGR), like all major sporting bodies, has had its own challenges to overcome during in the pandemic – and that’s also true for chair Karl Ainscough-Gates.

He became IGR chair in the summer of 2020 – and immediately had to deal with things like the postponement of the Bingham Cup, managing IGR’s relationship with World Rugby and more.

So, now things have settled a little bit, we thought it was the perfect time to sit down with Karl to chat about both IGR and his love of rugby.

That’s what this conversation is about – how he got into the sport; why inclusivity matters; how rugby has become more inclusive over the years; why allyship matters; what the plans are for a year of celebrations for IGR’s 20th anniversary; and whether he still enjoys the game as much as he used to!

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PHOTO CREDIT: IGR (https://igrugby.org/photos)

If you love professional wrestling, you’re in for a treat with this episode.

Our guest today is EFFY – the trailblazing professional wrestler who is making waves in the industry, as well as creating a space for LGBTQ+ people to be their authentic selves inside the squared circle.

He’s someone who isn't just a wrestler – but an entertainer, an entrepreneur, and someone that many in the industry truly look up to.

And in this fascinating conversation, we talk all about his life, his career, and everything in between.

From growing up watching Tully and Dusty, to what makes a great match; why wrestling is such a unique form of entertainment, and how it can help make social change happen – as well as what the future has in store.

Honestly, if you love wrestling, you’ll love this episode!

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PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Watson (@brainbuster_ on Instagram)

Justice Horn grew up in a family where sport was second nature.

His parents were involved in athletics; an uncle played in the NFL; a sister played volleyball - the list goes on and on.

For Justice, it was wrestling where he found his love - first at high school, and then at collegiate level at Northern State University in South Dakota.

As a black, gay man in a predominantly straight, Caucasian sport, Justice had to blaze his own trail - and that's just one of the fascinating things we chat about in today's episode.

We also discuss what made Justice switch to rugby; why he's using his platform to help drive change; how the pandemic has impacted on his family; and how he switches off from sport.

It's a fascinating chat with a really interesting man - and we think you'll enjoy it.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Justice Horn

It’s a special Tuesday episode of the podcast, as we head back to the grassroots level and shine a spotlight on another of the UK’s inclusive rugby clubs.

It’s only fitting for a side that has gone from strength to strength since it was founded in 2016, finding success at all sorts of event – including most notably at the 2019 Union Cup in Dublin where they won the Cu Chulainn Cup.

We’ve got four of the squad on the show today – so you’ll hear from Ross Hoyland, Michael Clarke, Alasdair Clipston and Dean Grant.

There is loads of great stuff on the agenda as always – from their respective journeys in rugby to the importance of the Hunters in their daily lives.

We also hear about a case of mistaken identity, the joys of Zoom quizzing, and a very, very impressive chair!

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Janelly Farias always knew she wanted to play football.

And through hard work, determination and sheer grit, she made it happen – becoming an international star for Mexico, and plying her trade domestically for the likes of Houston Dash, LA Galaxy, and her current club of Club América Femenil in Mexico City.

She’s also a TV analyst who worked as a commentator and pundit for the Women’s World Cup in 2019 – basically, she’s succeeded in making football her life.

But getting to that stage was a long, hard slog – with financial and cultural obstacles that Janelly had to overcome.

She also faced a battle in her personal life, when it came to getting the people she loved most to accept the fact she’s gay.

At times, that part of Janelly’s story got pretty dark – but she came out the other side of it, and she’s now committed to using her platform to help others.

And this conversation is part of that – as we chat with Janelly about her love of football; the inequality between the men and women’s game; how football can help to mould and change social attitudes for the better; playing in a pandemic; life after retirement; and so much more.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Janelly Farias

In some ways, it’s no surprise at all that Ben Watkiss is doing what he does now.

His father was a professional footballer, and Ben always wanted to have a career in the game – and that’s exactly what he’s ended up doing.

At first, he thought it might be through refereeing – but when that didn’t quite work out, Ben turned to strength and conditioning work, which is what he does now with Burton Albion in League One.

Ben’s story is more remarkable because, for a long time, he was worried his sexuality would stop him belonging in the beautiful game – and now, he speaks to shows like ours to try and dispel that narrative, and show that everyone has a right to belong in football.

So, this is a cracking chat about all aspects of Ben’s personal and professional journey.

From getting an introduction to the game at an early age to refereeing to finding a place in football where he fits, and why he wants more LGBTQ+ people with a passion for the sport to pursue a career in it – yeah, we really think you’ll like this episode.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Burton Albion/ Ben Watkiss

On today’s show, we’re all at sea – as we find out more about the group that's been the home of LGBTQ+ sailing in the UK for more than forty years.

David Mason is the Commodore of the Sailing and Cruising Association, which was meant to be celebrating its ruby anniversary last year.

The pandemic meant that couldn’t happen, but plans are afoot for a proper celebration when restrictions allow.

And we thought it was only right to have David on the show to talk more about the Association’s history; how he got involved with it; the Gay Games; the importance of the social aspect; and so much more.

And if you’re a sailing fan, there’s a little bonus at the end – as we look back at our chat with Alan Baser, one of the most respected judges in world sailing, about what it’s like to officiate at an Olympic Games.

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PHOTO CREDIT:

Stacey Pearson is one of the UK’s top football referees.

She works at the highest level of the women’s game, taking charge of WSL matches on a weekly basis as well as officiating on the international stage.

She was added to the FIFA list in 2020, referees at stage 3 in the men’s game, and was assistant referee in front of more than forty thousand people at the 2018 Women’s FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.

She also had a stellar career as a player with Yeovil Town Ladies, and combines it all with her career as a PE teacher.

And while that is all incredibly important to Stacey, family comes first – and she and her partner Danielle have decided that now is the right time to open up about their IVF journey, and the challenges they’ve faced in starting and growing their family.

This powerful episode covers all those things – how Stacey got her start in football; transitioning from a player to a referee; dealing with the pressure of being an elite official; starting a family; the highs and lows of her and Danielle’s experiences with IVF; why they’re speaking out about their journey now, using their platform to push for change; and why talking is so, so important.

We’re so grateful that Stacey has taken the time to speak so openly about her journey with us, and we think this episode will stick with you for a long time.

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