Leeds Pride will take place this Sunday, 6 August and The Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), participating for the second year in a row, will be joined by the newly formed Leeds Kites Cricket Club – the first LGBT+ cricket team in Leeds, alongside members of the Club’ s Yorkshire and Proud supporters’ group.
Leeds Kites CC, supported by Out 4 Cricket and Yorkshire Cricket, was formed following on from the set-up of Graces Cricket Club, who formed in 1996 and at the time were the only LGBT+ cricket club in the world, until the Birmingham Unicorns were established in 2021.
Now in its 18th year, the parade and day-long event will celebrate both the diversity within the city and also act as an empowering statement of the strength and the rights of the city’s LGBT+ community.
Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer at YCCC, said: “We are delighted to once again take part in Leeds Pride, which is one of Yorkshire’s biggest celebrations of the LGBT+ community.
“I want to send my best wishes to everyone involved with Leeds Pride. It will be a great day on Sunday and fingers crossed we get better weather than we’ve had recently!
“Celebrating our LGBT+ community is just one of many ways Yorkshire Cricket is committed to in order to support equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the Club and reflect Yorkshire’s rich and vibrant community.”
Pictured, the Birmingham Unicorns in a team huddle. Photo credit: Chris J Turner Photography
Steve Gillies, the Chairperson for Leeds Kites CC, said: “We are absolutely delighted to take part in Leeds Pride alongside The Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
“The club is a high-profile brand in the city and globally and Yorkshire Cricket choosing to be an active supporter of Leeds Pride – a time of celebration and visibility for the LGBT+ community – is so very powerful.”
If any Yorkshire County Cricket Club supporters would like to show their continued support for members of the local LGBT+ community, it would be fantastic to see you at the Pride Parade this Sunday.
If you would like any further information around Leeds Pride 2023, please click here.
This year to support members of the LGBT+ community, YCCC established Yorkshire and Proud – Yorkshire’s official LGBT+ supporters’ group – with the group for Yorkshire Cricket fans open to both members of the LGBT+ community and allies, heterosexual cis-gendered people who actively support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (or questioning) communities.
The Club celebrated Pride during the community themed T20 double header match, when Yorkshire Vikings took on Derbyshire Falcons followed by the Northern Diamonds against the Southern Vipers in June.
Yorkshire Cricket is also supporting and presenting at the second ever LGBT+ Inclusion in Cricket Conference, next month, hosted by the social enterprise Out 4 Cricket, at Lords, which will bring together stakeholders across cricket to share learning and build an inclusive sport.
Yorkshire and Proud
Yorkshire and Proud is Yorkshire’s official LGBT+ supporters’ group.
For more information please visit here.
Follow the LGBT+ supporters group on @YCCCAndProud
And to join Yorkshire Cricket’s LGBT+ Supporters Group contact:
[email protected] and [email protected]
Leeds Kites CC
Leeds Kites CC, is a proudly inclusive cricket club, providing a place for people passionate about cricket to come and play and socialise, and is only the third such cricket club in the world.
The club welcome everyone, including allies, who want to enjoy cricket in a friendly, supportive community environment with the team catering to all playing levels and welcome everyone to come down and play, watch or socialise whether you have played cricket before or are totally new to the sport.
If you want to find out more and get involved please contact: [email protected] &/or @LeedsInc_CC on twitter
