Celebrating Pride Month with Squash Australia: Progress, Visibility and a More Inclusive Future

Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, acknowledge the progress we have made, and commit to fostering inclusion, visibility and equality in all areas of society – including sport. At Squash Australia, we take this opportunity not only to show our support for LGBTQ+ players, coaches, officials and fans but also to reflect on our journey towards becoming a more inclusive sport.

Over the past four years, Squash Australia has participated in the Pride in Sport (PIS) Index, an important benchmarking tool that evaluates the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people within Australian sport. The results offer valuable insights and help guide our future actions.

From 2022 to 2025, Squash Australia’s Pride in Sport Index score has shown promising improvement. While the number of survey participants has varied, the overall trend is encouraging. In particular, Squash Australia’s score jumped from 8/100 in 2022 to 45/100 in 2024, reflecting the growing commitment across the sport to support inclusion. This progress has seen Squash Australia achieve Silver tier status in 2024 and retaining this in 2025.

A standout initiative in this space has been the continued growth of the Rainbow Racquets Squash Network (RRSN). RRSN is a community-driven initiative that provides LGBTQ+ players and allies with opportunities to connect, compete and belong. With events such as the Rainbow Racquets Open in 2023 and 2024 to the upcoming Rainbow Racquets Squash Tour, the network continues to lead the way in creating safe and welcoming spaces for all players.

RRSN is not just about playing squash, it is about building community, promoting visibility and celebrating diversity in sport. We encourage anyone interested in learning more or getting involved to visit the Rainbow Racquets Squash Network website for more information.

As we celebrate Pride Month, we acknowledge the progress Squash Australia has made and the work that lies ahead. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is not a one-off task but an ongoing commitment. With the insights from the Pride in Sport Index and the growing momentum within our community, we are more determined than ever to ensure squash is a sport where everyone feels they belong.

Let Pride Month be a reminder that every action, policy, training and event can make a meaningful difference. Together, we can shape a sport that celebrates every individual proudly, inclusively and authentically.