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As part of their
involvement with the campaign to "Kick Homophobia Out Of Oldham",
the Roughyeds will stage a tig-and-pass game at Boundary Park on
Monday between their Reserves and Village Spartans, Greater
Manchester's gay men's rugby union team. It is to launch a "Kicking Homophobia Out Of Oldham" campaign as a forerunner to Oldham's International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on May 16. The game will take place this coming Monday, Bank Holiday Monday, May 5, (kick off 1.55pm) as a curtain-raiser to the Oldham v Blackpool Panthers game in Co-operative National League Two. Invited guests include the Mayor of Oldham and representatives of Oldham Council, Oldham Primary Care Trust (PCT), Oldham Police, and the Oldham Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Forum (LGBT). Also present will be Sarah Williams, the Rugby Football League's Equality and Diversity Manager, who will be launching the Rugby League's first LGB supporters and friends association. The game will be played with a commemorative pink ball and,during half-time in the main match between Oldham and Blackpool later in the afternoon, pink balls will be kicked into the crowd. Oldham LGBT Forum have also announced that Roughyeds will be taking a lead role in organising this year's International Day Against Homophobia events in Oldham on May 16 when the club's chief executive Chris Hamilton will be speaking about the importance of kicking homophobia out of rugby, out of sport -- and out of Oldham. On the same day, Civic leaders will be involved in an initiative which will be taking place in Oldham town centre. Roughyeds will be placing adverts in their match-day programmes for the rest of the season to promote the 'Kick Homophobia Out Of Oldham' message. And in the run-up to Oldham LGBT Pride on Saturday, July 26, Roughyeds and Oldham Athletic will work with other partners to develop a programme of activities to get their message across. "To be working with Oldham Roughyeds and Oldham Athletic is a major step forward," said Susan Kirkham, co-leader of Oldham's LGBT Forum. "With the central involvement of both clubs 'Kicking Homophobia out of Oldham' will be several steps closer to reality." It all starts this Monday with the Bank Holiday curtain-raiser, planned to kick off shortly before 2pm. |
