So in a sign of the times, the roundheads are the city's first sports club to be established with the LGBT+ community in mind. Yet even in their short lifespan so far, the roundheads have found themselves asked to explain their existence, to varying degrees - and when they don't get the chance to do that, confusion can quickly escalate. "We use the designation of being a 'gay and inclusive' sports team - we're not an exclusively 'gay' club," says eldridge. "We did originally identify ourselves as an 'inclusive' club only, but that label seemed to confuse people even more as to what we're about."

Cognitive learning strategies examples

When the local paper reported on their new kit, the headline referenced the roundheads as hull's "first gay rugby team". Eldridge and his players soon saw a collective head-scratching exercise start to manifest in the facebook comments. "There were people saying that if someone set up a 'straight team', that would be discriminatory, so why do we need an exclusively gay team?" the newspaper article stated later on that the club was 'gay and inclusive' - but that detail was easily missed on social media.Cognitive learning strategies examples

Eldridge welcomed the opportunity to clarify in a follow-up. "We welcome players regardless of sexuality or gender identity, and actually we have a lot of straight-identified players.Cognitive learning strategies examples sexuality itself is not the significant element. What is significant is that we are creating a safe space where gay, bi, trans, straight and queer men can take up sports they didn't have the confidence to pursue before."

Cognitive learning strategies examples

May 17 is the annual international day against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia - an awareness day commonly known as IDAHOBIT which has been running for 15 years.Cognitive learning strategies examples the date corresponds with the decision taken by the united nations' world health organization in 1990 to remove homosexuality from its international classification of diseases list.Cognitive learning strategies examples the argument that a stated LGBT-friendly sports club might be wholly unnecessary nowadays is harder to make when reminded that, less than 30 years ago, to be gay was considered by a UN body to be a disorder, not a variation.Cognitive learning strategies examples

The roundheads would love to be able to consign discussions on homophobia to the history books, but amid the legacy of section 28, statistics showing a rise in recorded anti-LGBT hate crime, rugby's israel folau saga, and the kind of education gaps displayed in those aforementioned facebook comments, it's a shadow that can't be shrugged off completely.Cognitive learning strategies examples

Eldridge, a senior lecturer in american studies at the university of hull and an expert in civil rights, understands better than most that the road towards equality is long, and is travelled by people on different stages of their journeys.Cognitive learning strategies examples he also knows that human stories help to light the way. "I didn't like the idea that we were 'hitting out' against homophobia," he says, reflecting on some of the angles taken. "I wanted to give a better explanation.Cognitive learning strategies examples

"I was able to go into some detail as to why our members felt we needed an inclusive club, a safe place to bring people back to a team sport they'd played before and also bring in those who had never really considered team sport - myself included." squash had previously been eldridge's sport of choice before he founded the roundheads.Cognitive learning strategies examples he was inspired to do so after learning of how the leeds hunters rugby club had helped a friend in need - "he'd suffered from severe depression before joining them, and I saw this huge change in him" - and became determined to provide a similar opportunity for LGBT+ people in hull.Cognitive learning strategies examples

Laura huntenburg was more familiar than hookem with the long-term effects of those microaggressions, and how they are often heightened in team sports environments.Cognitive learning strategies examples as a rugby-mad club development officer at the university of hull, she had researched LGBT+ inclusion in sport and also the international gay rugby movement, whose story began in london in 1995 with the foundation of the king's cross steelers.Cognitive learning strategies examples the world's first gay rugby club were followed in the UK by manchester village spartans three years later, with clubs also established in the US and new zealand.Cognitive learning strategies examples in 2000, an IGR board was established; there are now over 70 affiliated clubs worldwide.

Huntenburg, who also had rugby coaching experience, was intrigued to read the initial august appeal for members posted to hull message boards and forums by eldridge, who works in a nearby building on campus. "As I knew a bit about IGR, I messaged him to say it was a great thing for the city.Cognitive learning strategies examples he said let's meet up. We had a chat and I was really interested in getting more involved.

She's now affectionately known as 'mother roundhead', working alongside bone every week to help both the regulars and the new faces. "Roundheads isn't just about backgrounds, sexualities, genders - it's also about people with different abilities or experiences in the game.Cognitive learning strategies examples it's enabling people to gain confidence, go on a fitness journey, accept themselves, meet new people, get a better social life... It's truly transformative." 'engage with the community'

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She wishes that those posting negative comments about the club on facebook could spend just an hour with the players, and listen to their stories. "Some people look only at the one tagline - gay, or LGBT - and it creates a bit of fear.Cognitive learning strategies examples they haven't had the same struggles or oppression, and they find it frustrating because they've got no way of relating to it. Then they just lash out.Cognitive learning strategies examples but if they got to know the people, it would be totally different."

The education arm of the roundheads exercise has been warmly embraced by the local east yorkshire RFU as well.Cognitive learning strategies examples early on, two trans men contacted eldridge, explaining how they had previously played with women's clubs. "Billy and jamie were at different stages of their transitions, but both had been compelled to leave their clubs and had found that pretty heart-breaking.Cognitive learning strategies examples the rules just didn't permit them to play." along with bone and his boss, james mckay, they studied all the regulations and submitted player applications.Cognitive learning strategies examples

"There were archaic questions and attitudes towards gender identity evident in some of the RFU paperwork but full credit to them, we got the approvals through," says eldridge. "The local RFU had never experienced the situation before, but were interested and wanted to support as best they could.Cognitive learning strategies examples it was a learning curve for them - and they stepped up to it."