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Principles of the Charter for Action

The Charter for Action is a set of principles to help stamp out homophobia and transphobia in sport and make sport a welcoming environment for LGBT people.

The Charter has four points:

1. We believe that everyone should be able to participate in and enjoy sport – whoever they are and whatever their background.
2. We believe that sport is about fairness and equality, respect and dignity. Sport teaches individuals how to strive and succeed, how to cope with success and disappointment, and brings people together with a common goal.
3. We are committed to making these values a reality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We will work together, and individually, to rid sport of homophobia and transphobia.
4. We will make sport a welcome place for everyone – for those participating in sport, those attending sporting events and for those working or volunteering in sports at any level. We will work with all these groups to ensure they have a voice, and to challenge unacceptable behaviour.

The Football Association, the Lawn Tennis Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union have now joined the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in becoming the first signatories of the Charter for Action.

Sign up the the Charter for Action

The Charter is also open to leagues, teams, and individual participants and spectators. To show your support for the Charter, sign up to it on Facebook by following the link below.

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "Sport should be about what you can do, not who you are. But too many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people feel that the sports field is not somewhere they can be themselves, and that prejudice and discrimination will mean their sexuality is always talked about more than their ability with a ball, bat or racket. 

"Homophobia and transphobia has no place in sport and I’m delighted that so many sporting bodies are backing our campaign to stamp it out at all levels, from local parks to Olympic stadiums. 

"Everyone - including individual sportsmen and women and spectators - is welcome to sign up to the charter, and I want to see as many people as possible joining us in pledging to stamp out homophobia and transphobia."

• Sign up to the Charter for Action Opens new window

More on Directgov

• Sexuality (young people section)

• Homophobic crime (young people section)

• Sexual orientation discrimination (employment section)

• Sport and leisure (young people section)

• Getting your child involved in sport (parents section)