IGLYO International Youth Conference on LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports

Introduction

LGBTQI youth continue to face significant barriers to full and equitable participation in sports, and sports environments often remain exclusionary and unsafe spaces for LGBTQI young people. Marginalisation, homophobia, and transphobia are still prevalent in many sports settings, discouraging participation and limiting access to opportunities for personal and professional development.

LGBTQI young people come from diverse backgrounds, with their experiences shaped by intersecting factors such as gender identity, race, disability, and socioeconomic status. IGLYO recognises the compounded barriers that LGBTQI youth face in sports environments and structures due to homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, class, and other forms of discrimination.

With this in mind, IGLYO is developing a Qualitative Research Study on LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports and is organising an International Youth Conference in Brussels (Belgium) on 26-31 October 2025 on this topic. We will welcome 30 LGBTQI young activists from around the Council of Europe countries to get together for four days of exchanging good practices, capacity-building and advocacy on the topic of LGBTQI inclusion in Sports.

Read the full call below and send us your application through this form by Sunday 27 July 2025 at 23:59 CEST. If you want to take your involvement further, you can also also apply to join the Conference Advisory Panel (all info at the bottom of the call).

What are the objectives of the conference?

With this conference, IGLYO aims to:

Build the capacities of 30 participants to engage in advocacy with European-level policy-makers.
Provide a platform for participants to share good practices and get familiar with IGLYO recommendations on how to include LGBTQI youth in sports.
Present the findings from the qualitative research study, along with examples of good practices from across Europe, to policymakers during a policy event taking place during the 4-day conference.
Facilitate direct interactions between IGLYO Members, LGBTQI activists and European-level policy and decision-makers to advocate for inclusive sports environments for LGBTQI youth.
Equip youth organisations with concrete strategies and recommendations to foster the inclusion of LGBTQI youth in sports, by facilitating the drafting of action plans which translate the report findings into the local context of each participant.

How will the conference be organised?

The conference will take place from 26 to 31 October 2025 (26 is the arrival day and 31 is the departure day).

The conference will include:

Expert-led workshops on EU and CoE frameworks for LGBTQI rights and inclusion and on advocacy and engagement with EU and CoE institutions;
In-depth presentation and analysis of IGLYO’s qualitative research on LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports and other relevant research;
Exchange of good practices;
A one-day policy events including meetings with different stakeholders (e.g. LGBTQI Intergroup of the European Parliament, Children’s Rights Intergroup of the European Parliament, SOGIESC Unit of the CoE, etc);
Drafting action plans to translate policy recommendations into actions at the local level.

How much does it cost?

The fee to participate in the conference is €50 per participant. IGLYO will cover all expenses related to your participation, including travel, accommodation*, visa costs and meals. You will be responsible for booking your own travel, and we will reimburse you up to €300 for EU participants and €350 for non-EU participants in accordance with our travel and reimbursement policy, which will be provided to you if you are selected. Visa costs will be reimbursed in full.

If you are selected as a participant, you will be able to apply for a fee waiver or for direct travel booking by IGLYO. This measure is meant to facilitate the attendance of participants facing economic difficulties and/or from countries with a disadvantageous exchange rate to €. Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

*Keep in mind that accommodation will be in a hotel room shared with another participant. A limited number of single rooms are available for accessibility reasons (please indicate this need in your application).

Who can apply?

Applicants need to meet the following criteria:

Be an LGBTQI young person between 18-30 years old;
Be available to attend the conference in person from 26 October (arrival day) to 31 October 2025 (departure day);
Have a level of English allowing for full participation in an international conference;
Reside in a Council of Europe (CoE) Member State (see full list here);
Have previous experience on the topic of LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports, be it as an education professional, a coach, a sportsperson, a researcher, or an advocate.

IGLYO Member Organisations (see full list here) have priority in taking part in the conference if the demand is too high. If you're not affiliated with a Member Organisation, you are still more than welcome to apply, as long as you meet the above criteria.

If you want to go one step further and also contribute to the planning of the conference, have a look at the open call for the Advisory Panel down below or in this PDF.

IGLYO particularly welcomes applications from underrepresented groups and communities such as young women, trans youth, non-binary youth, intersex youth, young people from Black communities, other communities of colour and ethnic minorities, refugees, migrants, sex workers, disabled youth, neurodivergent youth, young people living with HIV, and fat young people.

IGLYO is committed to making its events accessible and inclusive for everyone, and this event is open to all young queer activists, regardless of ability. Please let us know about any accessibility needs you may have in the application form, and we will work to ensure all feasible accommodations are provided for.

How to apply?

Ready for your next queer adventure? Make sure to read the full call above and submit your application through this application form by Sunday 27 July 2025 at 23:59 CEST. Selected participants will be contacted shortly after the deadline. In case you want to prepare, below you can find the three questions you are asked as part of the application:

About yourself (Max 300 words): Use this space to introduce yourself as a future participant. What is your background story? What is your connection to the topic of LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports? Are you an athelete, coach, advocate, researcher, educator, or youth worker? Make your answer personal and unique.
Motivation (Max 300 words): What personally inspires you to apply for the IGLYO International Conference on LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports? Share what excites you about this opportunity and this topic, and how it connects to your journey as an LGBTQI activist. What are you hoping to achieve through this experience?
Impact (Max 300 words): How do you believe this international conference can help you grow, and what impact do you hope it will have on your future work? Please be specific and concrete in your answer!

Important note: We encourage you to submit a personal application that genuinely reflects your experiences and motivations. Generic applications that are clearly AI-generated will automatically receive a lower score. We strongly value hearing directly from you about your journey, what drives you in your activism, and your specific interest in this opportunity.

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Call for the Conference Advisory Panel

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to take part in the organisation of thematic events on LGBTQI rights? Would you like to contribute your expertise and at the same time learn more on how to plan and run an international conference? Then search no further!

We are looking for an Advisory Panel who would work with us over the next few months to help ensure the success of the International Youth Conference on LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports. The main purpose of this group would be to ensure a strong youth voice and perspective is mainstreamed in all the work we do in the lead up, throughout and in the follow-up to this event.

We are open to many different types of young people who have some experience in event management, training and non-formal education, policy, advocacy and campaigning, LGBTQI rights and/or on LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports, whether that be through lived experience, volunteering, academic studies or professional experience.

Profile of the Advisory Panel

In order to be considered for this initiative, you should:

Be an LGBTQI young person between the ages of 18-30 years old;
Be a resident of a Council of Europe Member State (see full list here);
Have previous experience on the topic of LGBTQI Inclusion in Sports, be it as an education professional, a coach, a sportsperson, a researcher or an advocate.
Have some experience in any of the following:
- Non-formal education;
- Workshop design and facilitation;
- Event planning and management;
- Policy, advocacy, and campaigning on LGBTQI rights.
Be able to communicate fluently in English.

What do we expect from you?

Although you will be supporting the work of the IGLYO Programmes Team, you in turn will be supported by them throughout this process and will never be left alone. We recognise that you have other commitments in your life, so we will not ask too much of you!

With this in mind, there are some commitments that we expect from you. Members of the Advisory Panel should:

Be available to attend the duration of the event on 26-31 October 2025, as well as arriving one day early to engage in planning meetings;
Be willing to meet online occasionally in the lead up to the event and after the event;
Be willing to apply your expertise where relevant in the different aspects of planning and executing the event.

Even if you think you might not be able to meet all the requirements above but are still interested in joining the Advisory Panel, please apply anyway!

How to apply for the Advisory Panel?

If you are interested in this opportunity, fill out the relevant part of the conference’s application form by 27 July 2025 at 23:59 CEST. You first need to fill out the general application form (on page 1 & 2) and will then be asked to answer some additional questions (on page 3) if you opt to also apply for the Advisory Panel.

For any questions, please contact our Programmes Manager Viola (She) at viola@iglyo.org.

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With the support of

IGLYO is supported by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) 2021-2027 programme of the European Union, the Dutch Ministry of Education Culture & Science, and the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. The contents of the conference are the sole responsibility of IGLYO and can be taken in no way to reflect the views of the European Commission, Council of Europe, or Dutch Ministry.