Life as an LGBTQ+ person on the Learning Disability Tennis Circuit
When I first started playing competitively, I was a very young closeted boy.
Like elsewhere in my life, I felt it was a place where my sexuality should have been kept separate.
This changed when I met my trans friend Zach.
I met him at a Learning Disability regional competition over 5 years ago and seeing him be his true self inspired me to come out, not only to other competitors but to everyone I knew.
After Covid-19 hit, Zach stopped playing and I became the only open LGBTQ+ player in the Learning Disability circuit of tournaments.
It was scary at first and I started to shy away from speaking about my sexuality. However, I thought to myself about how a young Adam saw Zach and how much he inspired me.
I now speak to my fellow players and their parents about my sexuality as much as possible. Just like only recently where I was at a tournament at Grantham and I spoke to another player and his mum about the TV show It’s a Sin which led on to amazing conversations about the LGBTQ+ community.
I have found in my experience of playing mainstream events and LD events that my peers with Learning Disabilities are so much more accepting and do not see my sexuality as a barrier between friendship.
Whereas, at mainstream events, I feel like majority of players are very cautious and don’t know how or necessarily want to communicate with me.
Inclusion is such an important thing but especially in sport. Sport is something that has always been important to me as it is a way of improving mental health.
It should be a place where everyone is allowed to thrive no matter who you are. People like you, me and Zach deserve a place in sport to exercise, socialise and compete, just like everyone else.
About the author – Adam Brownsword (he/they) is a National Doubles Champion in LD Tennis. He will also be representing Great Britain in the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin next year. He is looking to inspire more participation of LGBTQ+ tennis players. He is also just starting his journey into coaching and hopes to run disability sessions in the future.