Every year in the month of June, much of the world celebrates Pride. A month dedicated to the lives, stories, successes, triumphs, tribulations, and so much more that LGBTQ+ community has not only endured, but also accomplished.

It’s easy to jump on board with the rainbow colors and exciting celebrations, but organizationally, it’s important to ensure that this one month of the year is not simply performative. What’s important is the work that’s being done the other 11 months and the intentionality that goes into the decision-making process all 365 days.

The sport of curling has a robust history, one whose geography withstood hopping the Atlantic and whose sportsmanship hasn’t flinched.

While good-intended people have swept rocks and exchanged pleasantries for centuries, it’s no secret that a level of exclusivity surrounding the barriers to entry into the sport has left curling in dire need of programmatic change to improve diversity and inclusivity.

As a National Governing Body, USA Curling has a responsibility and an obligation to take a long look in the mirror to better understand and evaluate how the organization can make sustainable changes that ultimately create a cultural shift to not only introduce the sport to as many people who want to play it, but foster, from grassroots to podium, an environment that empowers all to achieve competitive success.

In other words, rainbow colored social media posts and statements aren’t enough.

Over the past couple years, USA Curling has reformed its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Formerly dormant, the Committee now consists of curlers from across the country with varying backgrounds, perspectives, and levels of involvement in the sport. The Committee is united over the common denominator of its mission: Making curling a more inclusive sport, reflecting the diversity of the country and the communities it is played in, by inspiring, educating, guiding, and supporting all stakeholders - member associations/regions, clubs, teams, athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers, supporters, sponsors, vendors, and partners - in the pursuit of that objective.

From the Committee, conversations and evaluations around how the curling community can improve have resulted in sustainable policy change that will continue to grow the sport while eliminating barriers to entry.

The LGBTQIA+ Subcommittee drafted the Transgender Participation Policy and Guidance. This is a policy that doesn’t bar transgender athletes from play or require transgender and non-binary participants to undergo specific medical treatments or disclosures as required by the previous policy. Additionally, the Policy was written to serve as a grassroots resource as it provides guidelines for curling clubs wishing to create a more inclusive environment.

Under the updated Transgender Participation Policy and Guidance, passed by the Board of Directors on Oct. 2, 2021, an athlete’s declaration of gender identity through the process of registering for a gendered event is sufficient.

USA Curling has also launched Ice Breakers, co-founded by Debra Martin and Dean Gemmell, a programmatic approach to increasing diversity and inclusion in curling at the grassroots level through the education and collaboration of member clubs across the country.

While USA Curling’s commitment to programmatic and sustainable change for a more inclusive tomorrow is unwavering, there are many organizations that offer support and resources to the LGBTQ+ community that cannot be matched by USA Curling.

That is why this June, USA Curling is thrilled to sell its first ever Pride-themed merchandise, with 100% of net proceeds supporting The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project provides support to LGBTQ+ young people, a group four times more likely to attempt suicide.

With the mission of ending suicide among LGBTQ+ young people, The Trevor Project continues to innovate services to serve the 1.8 million annual crisis contacts, while also developing and implementing core programs, offering crisis services, peer support, public education, and advocacy.

USA Curling is proud to release this merchandise in support of The Trevor Project, an organization that can provide imperative programming supportive of tomorrow’s champions.

USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Toyota, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.