About Us

LGBT sport is about helping our community to keep fit and lead good healthy lives.

— Malcom Gunter, founding Secretary Treasurer, OutSport Toronto.
 

OUTSPORT TORONTO is an incorporated not-for-profit community-based amateur athletic association. Our mission is to serve and support amateur 2SLGBTIQ+ sport and recreation through promoting health, healthy living, wellness, and well-being through sport and recreation, facilitation of networking and education for our members, and effectively advocating to external stakeholders.

OUTSPORT TORONTO and its predecessor, The Toronto Sport Alliance / Team Toronto, have been serving the needs of the amateur 2SLGBTIQ+ sport and recreation community in the GTA since 1989.

2009 marked the beginning of a period of grassroots input from nearly 30 clubs, leagues, teams and other sports related groups to re-vision what type of support, if any, the 2SLGBTIQ+ sport and recreation community needed. In March 2010, OUTSPORT TORONTO came into existence in response to the need for a new way to promote and support the 2SLGBTIQ+ amateur sports community.

People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defences, or the problems of modern society.

— Vince Lombardi

According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute’s most recently published Physical Activity Monitor (2019-2021), 27% of Canadian adults report participating in sport¹.  2SLGBTIQ+ athletes, and potential athletes, often face barriers to participation as themselves when looking at joining sports.  Be they real or perceived, these barriers reflect our collective experiences with sports as youth.  The 2SLGBTIQ+ community response is to create its own leagues and organisations enabling safe places for us to engage in sport and recreation.  

The over two dozen LGBT Sports organizations in the GTA face challenges of their own: board turnover, volunteer burnout, attracting members, board governance and getting the support they need.

OUTSPORT TORONTO works with our member organisations, the 2SLGBTIQ+ community, and our partners to provide the tools and mechanisms that will promote participation in 2SLGBTIQ+ sport and recreation, facilitate a support and education network for our members, and become effective advocates to our external stakeholders.

This is an exciting time to be part of OUTSPORT TORONTO. To find out how you can become part of OUTSPORT TORONTO, or how you can help, email info@OutSportToronto.org .

[1] Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. Participation in Sport. 2019-2021 Physical Activity Monitor.  Available here.