Author: Sorcha Ní Fhaoláin
We want to make cycling accessible to all marginalised genders. We welcome all women; including transgender, intersex, and cis, as well as trans-men and non-binary people. Newbie? Pro? Whatever your experience is, come join us and we can also learn a thing or two from you.
We know joining a club can be daunting, especially with the elitism in cycling so we want to scrap that and make everyone feel welcome. We encourage each other to carry on riding and support one another regardless of race, gender identity, class, sexuality, age, religion or disability. We can achieve this if everyone involved in the club bears in mind that:
Whilst Cycling, Racing or Socialising We:
1. Respect our clubmates, other riders, commissaires and coaches. Having a good time matters more than winning!
2. Respect each others’ boundaries. Let’s be mindful of how we act or speak might affect others around us.
Prejudice, Discrimination and Harassment
3. We have zero-tolerance for prejudice, discrimination and harassment.
4. We share our gender pronouns so that everyone can self-identify. We know this is new for some people so it’s okay if you don’t fully understand this – Contact us for helpful links. If you misgender someone, just acknowledge this and do your best to use the right term in the future. We’re here to create an encouraging safe space.
Accountability
5. Talk to our diversity and inclusion officer if you have any issues. This will be dealt with respectfully and with an open mind.
7. We foster a culture of accountability. This means being ready to accept responsibility for our actions and to make amends.
8. As a club, we need to monitor our progress of promoting diversity and inclusivity.
What Do We Do To Promote Diversity & Inclusion?
We work with the broader community to promote visibility. This includes running:
Track beginner sessions for all women
Intro to racing talks (On request)
Women’s race training sessions
Irish cycling clubs are not doing much in appealing to women from ethnic minority backgrounds. We acknowledge that we can do more and what we’re doing is just the start within our cycling community. We are always open to ideas and feedback, so get in touch.
Together, we can break the barrier and empower Irish riders from all backgrounds.
