ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION
Founded in 2017
Pull for Pride began as a series of strength-sport fundraisers in response to the lack of spaces for LGBTQIA2+ people to safely engage in sport and fitness. Rooted in a celebration of TGNC participation, Pull for Pride has always drawn a sharp contrast with the norm in strength sport competitions, which commonly discriminate against TGNC athletes. Pull for Pride leadership foresaw its events tremendous potential to educate participating athletes about the work of the nonprofit selected by their city’s organizers. Hosts are encouraged to lead seminars on topics such as diversity and inclusion in sports and specific issues facing the LGBTQIA2+ community, in addition to the fundraiser itself.
Evolution: Due to direct system change efforts led by Pull for Pride’s queer and trans leadership, Co-Directors Breanna Diaz and JayCee Cooper, Pull For Pride has since evolved into a powerful voice advocating for trans inclusion in sports. In 2019, USA Powerlifting (USAPL) implemented a blanket ban on transgender atheltes from competing in the division consistent with their gender identity. Diaz and Cooper organized a united front of athletes and state USAPL representatives to draft a trans-inclusive policy, consistent with policies adopted by the International Olympic Committee and the International Powerlifting Federation. USAPL rejected the policy proposal and stands firm in their harmful misunderstanding of the trans community.
This resulted in the creation of Pull For Pride’s Share The Platform Grant, which provides funding to TGNC athletes for costs related to participation in strength sports.
GOALS
• Enable the sports and fitness industries to adapt policies that are safe, affirming, and inclusive for the LGBTQIA2+ community, with a special focus on the most vulnerable athletes: TGNC BIPOC.
• Create an international community of like minded athletes to promote positive experiences of sport and fitness for all.
• Turn athletes into activists: Through strength events, raise funds to support organizations that work to directly address and alleviate adversity specific to the LGBTQIA2+ population, while also educating the greater public, to promote larger, systemic change.
WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED?
• Raised $280,000+ for national, state and local LGBTQIA2+ organizations.
• Led the fight to make powerlifting federations inclusive of all gender identities.
• Created the Share the Platform Grant, which awarded 5 QTPOC funds to participate in strength sports in 2020.
2021 applications are now being accepted. Apply Here.
CORE PRINCIPLES
• Pull for Pride centers the concerns of the most impacted members of The LGBTQ community, TGNC BIPOC, in all advocacy work.
• Pull for Pride is staunchly gender affirming and uplifts the fact that trans women are women, and trans men are men.
• Pull for Pride considers the needs of nonbinary and gender nonconforming athletes as a forethought to policy and event implementation, not as an afterthought
• Pull for Pride believes in coalition building. It focuses on highlighting and uplifting organizations that align with its mission as opposed to spending resources deriding organizations and individuals missing the mark but not causing direct harm to LGBTQIA2+ athletes and/or inclusive policies.