BaseballSoftballUK, Pride Tape partner to Strike Out Hate
Thu 13 May 2021
BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) and Pride Tape are proud to announce a new partnership to Strike Out Hate in the UK.
The campaign, under the Strike Out Hate UK banner, has the goal of driving positive social change by making baseball and softball, at all levels, a more welcoming and inclusive environment for players, their families and fans of every race, colour, age, ability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The programme builds off the successful Strike Out Hate campaign run by Pride Tape with the support of Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in the United States and Canada.
Baseball and softball in the United Kingdom are two of the most inclusive sports in the country, with a self-identified LGBTQ+ playing audience of 14%, nearly double the estimated number of the UK population (8%). LGBTQ+ players are spread throughout a baseball and softball playing community of more than 20,100 in cities and towns around the UK.
BaseballSoftballUK has a dedicated LGBTQ+ Committee to oversee the development of the sports for LGBTQ+ participants. As one of these initiatives, the Committee has created a first-of-its-kind set of Inclusive Softball Rules for co-ed Slowpitch softball to include non-binary players. In addition to the LGBTQ+ Committee, BSUK runs and assists several LGBTQ+ oriented events across the UK, including the upcoming annual Manchester LGBTQ+ Softball Tournament, supported by Pride Tape this year. Members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies can also join the private “Out on the Bases” Facebook group.
Pride Tape was created to be a visible way to show support from teammates, coaches, parents and professionals to young LGBTQ+ players across the globe. Pride Tape works closely with the National Hockey League (NHL), MiLB, and You Can Play to help promote visibility and inclusivity. Today’s partnership announcement is the first deal for Pride Tape outside of North America.
Jeff McLean, Pride Tape Co-founder commented on the new partnership, saying, “Pride Tape is extremely excited to announce our partnership with BaseballSoftballUK - an organization with a long-standing commitment of creating a welcoming and inclusive sport for everyone.”
BSUK North West Development Manager, and LGBTQ+ Committee Chair Luis Arrevillagas, added, “The opportunity to work with Pride Tape is fantastic, and we’re really excited to bring the Strike Out Hate brand to the UK. Pride Tape’s work to visibly support the LGBTQ+ community perfectly matches up with our inclusive and diverse organizational values. We’re excited to launch this partnership, the Strike Out Hate UK brand, and to better and more visibly support LGBTQ+ players, coaches, fans and families.”
More details regarding the partnership, including where to purchase Strike Out Hate UK merchandise and access resources, will be announced soon. In the meantime, visit baseballsoftballuk.com/lgbtq for more details.
