BKC launches #Fight4Equality and #InYourCorner
As the sporting world begins to return to some level of normality, it is essential that we all work together to help everyone in our society to stay healthy and safe. In addition to publishing Return To Play guidelines for each of the four Home Nations, the British Kickboxing Council are keen to support clubs around the UK to engage with as many people as possible.
In particular, the BKC wanted to provide training, resources and support for underrepresented groups within the wider community, and within the sport, in particular:
- women
- people from low-income backgrounds
- LGBTQIA+ groups
- disabled people
- members of diverse ethnic communities
- people practicing different religions
This is where the #Fight4Equality project comes in. The goal was to create an umbrella under which all of BKC's Inclusion Initiatives, intersectional Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work, focus groups and Advisory Panel can sit.
Aside from helping to ensure that policies, protocols and projects are as inclusive as possible, this intersectional approach also improves accessibility for people who identify with several underrepresented groups (for example, disabled members of the Asian community who are also LGBT+).
It also represents a support network for coaches, parents, athletes, officials, volunteers, promoters and everyone else involved in kickboxing who comes from one of the underrepresented, or in some cases marginalised, groups above. As part of this support network, BKC have also created the #InYourCorner campaign, to give Allies* a means to demonstrate their commitment to making kickboxing a safe and inclusive space for all.
BKC have even created some Facebook image filters you can use to show your support for the campaign - just search for #InYourCorner!
Read More About Fight4Equality and #InYourCorner
Additional information
*Allies and Allyship
An "Ally" is someone who shows support for an underrepresented or marginalised group within our society, but doesn't directly represent it. For example, heterosexuals can be "Allies" to LGBT+ people, men can be "Allies" to women and white people can be "Allies" to members of diverse ethnic communities.
It's worth stressing that being a member of an underrepresented group does not stop you from being an Ally to members of others. If you support someone's equal rights, in this case to access sport (and in particular their right to take part, at any level, within Kickboxing), you can be an Ally.
The goal is to ensure that everyone can feel equally safe, welcome and accepted within the sport, so no matter what your background, BKC are calling on all kickboxers and everyone connected with kickboxing to join them as Allies by saying to everyone who has ever felt discriminated against, excluded, unsupported or unwelcome: we are #InYourCorner.
