Last Sunday saw Brunswick Surf Lifesaving Club (SLSC) celebrating their diverse membership and reminding everyone that they are welcome at their club and on the local beaches.
The Rainbow Beaches day was celebrated by 170 out of 300 SLS Clubs and is a national initiative that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and connection within surf lifesaving and the wider coastal community.
‘Lifesavers with Pride support everybody in the SLS community and we have all Australian states on board for this project that is designed to make everyone feel welcome at our clubs and on the beaches,’ said volunteer Simon Ceglinski who has been a member of the Brunswick SLSC since 1985.
‘We are an outward looking organisation and that is why we have a growing membership,’ said Simon who is also a National Medal holder and a recipient of the NSW Premier’s Citation for putting his life on the line during the 2022 floods.
‘The Brunswick SLSC has a full spectrum of members and, just like the ocean doesn’t discriminate, we don’t discriminate about who we rescue or help in the ocean – we don’t discriminate against anyone joining our club and feeling that this is a safe space for them to participate in.’
Caring for community
Craig Sheppard, President of the Killcare SLSC, and Proud Ally of Lifesavers with Pride shared to the SLS community on social media about Rainbow Beaches day, ‘this is unfortunately still controversial for some… some critics might lean to child protection and I can’t say strongly enough that there is no organisation in Australia who takes that more seriously than Surf Life Saving does. The facts are that there’s no evidence to indicate that being LGBTQIA+ increases the risk of that person being a predator. There are however, reams of data that indicate they are more at risk of being abused, particularly in their youth,’ he said.
Speaking to the risks that young people do face Simon told The Echo that, ‘young people are at significant risk of self harm and LGBTQI+ young people are at an even higher risk. We want everyone to feel safe and welcome. As I often remind our Nippers, Rainbow Beaches is about the fact we accept, we respect and we love everyone so they can be who they are without judgement’
‘It is easier to be nice and respectful to people than not to be.’
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