Ask skaters what the best thing about roller derby is and a lot of them will tell you it's that you get to smash into people with wheels on your feet. However, even more will tell you it's that derby is a place for those that society may have previously shunned, or overlooked to flourish.
From the very beginning the queer community has thrived within roller derby, with many of derby's most prominent international skaters identifying as LGBTQ+. Trans skaters picking whatever team best suits their identity is an accepted norm within the community and has been for some time.
Norfolk Roller Derby wanted to celebrate the inclusive nature of our sport, the way that it welcomes all kinds of people, encourages them, trains them and cheers them on as they do amazing things! So this year we hosted Stone Walls, a 7's style tournament to raise funds for Norwich Pride and named in commemoration of the 50 year anniversary of the Stonewall riots that sparked the pride movement.
Through a lot of hard work from our volunteers and the generosity of travelling officials, local business and the skaters that took part, the day was a huge success! It was great to see people from all over the country come together to celebrate inclusiveness in sport. Ultimately, we were able to raise £761 that will go towards keeping Norwich Pride free for all.
Following on from the success of the tournament members of the league took to the streets to take part in the Norwich Pride march. Both in the parade and at our stall in front of the Forum, it was great to chat to members of the public about derby and to support all of the wonderful LGBTQ+ in our wonderful city of Norwich. There were beaming smiles on all our skaters and volunteers, you could tell everyone was indeed proud of the values our league and sport represents. We can't wait for pride month next year!
Credit to Benjamin S. Beauchamp for photos of our Pride event.
Comments