Middlesex Cricket is dedicated to being a Club that reflects the broad diversity of the many communities and cultures that make the county of Middlesex what it is today. We passionately believe that there is no place for prejudice or discrimination in cricket or in wider society and we aspire to help people understand the importance of acceptance, tolerance, respect and equality for LGBTQ+ people.
On Saturday 29th June 2024, Pride in London will be celebrated. The annual parade takes place throughout the capital with over 32,000 participants taking part, with the aim of raising awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and to advocate for the freedoms to enable everyone to live their lives on equal footing. However, Pride in London is not just a one weekend event, the festival is celebrated throughout the month of June with events including: cabaret, sports, comedy and debates taking place. You can find the full list of events taking place HERE
Middlesex Cricket extends its support for Pride as we once again take part in Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces Campaign when we take on Hampshire Hawks at Radlett on 6th July in The Vitality Blast. Middlesex players, coaches and staff will all wear their rainbow laces with pride as we raise awareness for a fantastic cause, and the rainbow flag will be proudly flying over Radlett Cricket Club all day, with our Guard of Honour also waving rainbow flags as the players take to the field.
Now in its 11th year, the Rainbow Laces campaign aims to promote inclusion within sport. Since it’s conception more than one million people have laced up to show sport is everyone’s game. Stonewall, the charity behind the rainbow lace campaign is Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ charity. Founded in 1989 they campaign for a world where all LGBTQ+ are free to be themselves and fulfil their potential.
This year will be the 52nd year that the Pride in London match will take place, after it first took place on the streets of our capital on 1st July 1972. The origins of the pride movement can be traced back to the late 1960's, as detailed below.
THE HISTORY OF PRIDE
Pride’s roots date back to America in the late nineteen sixties, when, following a police raid in June 1969 on the Stonewall Inn, a known gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City, LGBT persons took to the streets, rioting in protest of the violation of their rights. Further protests in New York in the following days and weeks provided a platform for the LGBT community to launch public marches on a much wider scale, which continue today in the form of annual Pride marches.
Whilst the tone of these marches has since changed over the decades that have passed, from a more sombre commemoration of the Stonewall riots to the modern day form of carnivalesque celebrations by the LGBTQ+ community, the message remains the same - that nothing short of acceptance without exception can be tolerated.
The first ever Pride march took place on the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn raid, in June 1970 in New York City, when thousands from the LGBTQ+ community marched the 51 blocks from Manhattan to Central Park. Similar public marches took place in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles on the last weekend of June and a movement had begun.
The following year saw US marches also organised and run in the cities of Boston, Dallas and Milwaukee, and across the globe in London, Paris and West Berlin. By 1972, marches were also held in the US cities of Philadelphia, Miami, Washington DC, Buffalo, Atlanta and Detroit and in England in Brighton. Pride has since evolved into a truly global celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, doing a huge amount of good work to break down barriers and prejudice.
LGBTQ+ ORGANISATIONS
Whilst Stonewall is by far the best known charity advocating for LGBTQ+ people in the United Kingdom, there are several other organisations running excellent services, a few of which are shown below:
akt supports LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.
The charity supports young people into safe homes and employment, education or training, in a welcoming and open environment that celebrates LGBTQ+ identities.
With volunteers and staff in London, Leeds and Bristol, Gendered Intelligence supports young trans people aged eight to 25. This year, its annual summer camps have shifted online – with dozens of youth programmes offered each week, from group meetings to one-on-one support.
Devoted to supporting the LGBTQIA+ Muslim community and non-Muslim allies, Hidayah literally means “guidance” in Arabic. It offers popular safe spaces in which to socialise, as well as a range of spiritual and education services for queer youths.
House of Rainbow works to empower members of the black and minority ethnic LGBTQIA+ community through everything from asylum seekers’ support to mental health counselling.
Based in Manchester but providing services nationally, the LGBT Foundation has pivoted its 45-year-old support services to focus on urgent needs tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, it offers its counselling, advice, training, and support groups virtually and by phone.
Established in 1972 London Friend is the UK’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans charity. They support the health and mental wellbeing of the LGBT community in and around London. London Friend offers counselling and support around issues such as same-sex relationships, sexual and gender identity and promoting personal growth and self-confidence. They're also home to Antidote - the UK's oldest LGBT drug and alcohol service. Our social groups provide a safe space to meet and socialise as an alternative to the bar and club scene.
Brighton-based charity MindOut provides mental health services by and for the LGBTQIA+ community. Its primary focus is on supporting those in crisis through legal guidance, counselling and access to peer networks.
Pride Sports was founded in 2006 and was the first, and still one of only three organisations in the UK working solely to challenge homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in sport and improve access to sport for LGBT+ people.
The Outside Project functions as a crisis shelter for members of the LGBTQIA+ community at risk of homelessness – a particularly crucial mission during the pandemic. It has also just opened a specialist shelter for victims of domestic abuse.LGBTQ+ CRICKET IN MIDDLESEX - GRACES CRICKET CLUB
Graces Cricket Club are the world’s first LGBTQ+ inclusive cricket club, consisting of players and supporters of various nationalities and sexual orientations.
Based in London, at Broxbourne Cricket Club, Graces exists to provide an opportunity for people to watch and play cricket irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. Their vision is to assert upon the cricketing and wider sporting community an ideal of total equality and inclusion.
They conduct pre-season training usually at Lords and The Oval and play weekly 40-over matches on Sundays through the summer season and play in an indoor cricket league through the off-season.
In 2024 as well as friendlies, Graces will play in the Chess Valley League!
They also offer sporadic 20-over matches and an annual pre-season tour somewhere abroad – (Malta, Spain, Portugal and Corfu have been destinations) plus an exciting social calendar as well.
Members also get an affiliate membership to Middlesex Cricket at a heavily reduced rate, which affords free entry to all County Cricket matches at Lords.
If you're interested in contacting Graces Cricket Club, to either play or support this great Club, you get hold of them HERE
