Squash community celebrates inclusion this Wear It Purple Day

As Wear It Purple Day returns this Friday August 28, Squash Australia is celebrating the people and communities helping make squash a more welcoming and inclusive sport for LGBTQIA+ players.

Held annually on the last Friday of August, Wear It Purple Day supports and empowers LGBTQIA+ young people, encouraging communities, workplaces and sporting organisations to show visible allyship and create safe spaces where everyone can be themselves.

For David Cowell, a member of Rainbow Racquets and an advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in Victorian squash, the message of Wear It Purple Day resonates strongly.

“I really resonate with the message that Wear It Purple promotes in empowering LGBTQIA+ youth,” Cowell said.

“To provide that support to them to say it is OK to be who you are and that no one should ever put you down for that.”

Cowell experienced the power of that message firsthand when he marched with Wear It Purple at Sydney Mardi Gras earlier this year, describing the experience as an opportunity to see LGBTQIA+ young people feel free to be themselves and connect with others.

His work within squash has also given him a front-row seat to the sport's growing LGBTQIA+ community, particularly through the emergence of Rainbow Racquets groups.

“I previously didn't think there were too many who played squash, at least on the competition side, but on the social side that's where we are finding the numbers of players growing,” he said.

Cowell has helped drive inclusion in Victorian squash through Welcome Here and Pride Cup initiatives, with a positive response from the community and growing connection through the sport.

“With squash, you only really care if you're having a good game against your opponent, more about who they are as a player, rather than who they are off court,” he said.

Cowell also points to the growing network of Rainbow Racquets communities across Australia, with groups and supporters in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide helping create opportunities for LGBTQIA+ players to connect through squash.

For clubs looking to make their environments more welcoming, Cowell believes it does not require sweeping changes. Instead, small, genuine interactions can make a significant difference.

“Something as simple as saying hello when they walk in, and asking how they went afterwards, having that friendly interaction will go a long way in retaining players playing at your club,” he said.

“We are a sport that needs players to keep playing, and if our clubs don't have that welcome feeling, people will stop playing if they don't feel welcome.”

This Wear It Purple Day, Squash Australia encourages the squash community to help create clubs and spaces where everyone feels welcome, supported and able to be themselves.