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Importance of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging in Cycling
Diversity in sport is important because it promotes community, unique perspectives, new opportunities and great sportsmanship. Inclusion in sports ensures that everyone has equal opportunities to participate, compete and succeed and environments which embrace diversity, and foster a sense of belonging among all participants.
Sport must represent the society in which it is played – it should reflect the members of that community. Sport is a unifier across cultures, language and political viewpoints – it should be a place where everyone feels they have a place to play – no matter who they are – and be accepted for their skill, passion and enthusiasm. If we do not work to create communities of inclusion and diverse viewpoints, we risk alienating individuals and our community, threatening the very existence and longevity of our chosen sport.
Cycling is an activity and sport that can allow anyone to participate – no matter their level of skill or interest – there is something for everyone. We need to work to create communities which include different groups of people, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion and socio-economic status. Cycling (and all sports!) have the incredibly unique ability to promote social cohesion and build stronger communities, bringing people together, learning to appreciate and respect each other’s differences and celebrate their shared passion.
We must work together to create connections and community alignment, creating safe spaces and welcoming places, where the only thing that matters is that we all love riding our bikes.
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Choose Inclusive Words |
Avoid These Words and Sayings |
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Pronouns |
Preferred Pronouns |
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Racialized Canadians, racialized groups, communities or populations |
Visible minorities and non-Caucasians |
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Racialized individuals, groups, communities or populations |
Visible minorities who may not be Canadian |
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Indigenous peoples (never Canada’s Indigenous peoples) OR specify First Nations peoples or communities; Métis peoples or Inuit (never the Inuit, nor Inuit people because Inuit translates as “the people”) |
Aboriginals as a collective noun |
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Indigenous (for example, Indigenous traditions) |
Aboriginal as an adjective |
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They or their (for singular or plural) |
Hers/his, he/she, male/female |
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Parents and guardians |
Parents, moms and dads |
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Newcomers |
Immigrants |
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Person living with or People living with |
Suffering from, afflicted by, stricken by, victim of |
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People living with disabilities |
Disabled people, handicapped people, the disabled, the handicapped |
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Often or commonly |
Normal or normally (implies anyone else is abnormal) |
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All humanity or people everywhere |
Mankind |
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Women (or girls for children) |
Ladies or females (“female” should rarely be used, and then only as an adjective, not a noun) |
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Older adults or specify age ranges (for example, people under 50, people over age 65, people between the ages of 51 and 64 years) |
Seniors, senior citizens, the elderly |
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Coast to coast to coast |
Coast to coast (excludes the Arctic Ocean in the North) |
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Sportspersonship, or better yet, specify the values you mean, for example, integrity, positivity, fairness. |
Sportsmanship |
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Athletes and sport participants (to include those in community sport not just competitive) |
Athletes |
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Hey, everyone! Hey! |
Hey guys! Dude! Bro! |
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They’re my teammates, crew, or friends |
They’re my tribe, my posse |
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That’s unbelievable, wild, or surreal |
That’s crazy or insane |
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That’s boring or unimpressive |
That’s lame |
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That’s funny or LOL |
That’s hysterical |
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I’m klutzy or clumsy |
I’m spazzy |
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That’s obvious or clearly |
What a no-brainer |
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Banned, denied access or not allowed |
Blacklisted |
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Respect yourself or own up to what you want |
Stand up for yourself |
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Steward leadership |
Servant leadership |
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People living in poverty |
The poor, the less fortunate, the impoverished |
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First language, natal language or earliest language |
Mother tongue, mother language, native tongue, native language |
