Slovak gay sportspeople live among us

A decade ago, gay people founded their own sports club, Lotus Flowers, in Bratislava.

Slovakia's only LGBTI sports club, Lotus Flowers, brings the LGBTI community and their allies together, and even some anti-LGBTI people. Slovakia's only LGBTI sports club, Lotus Flowers, brings the LGBTI community and their allies together, and even some anti-LGBTI people. (Source: Lotus Flowers)

The Lotus Flowers came up with the idea of establishing the very first LGBTI sports club in Slovakia 10 years ago, and they have been around ever since.

“We wanted to create a safe space for LGBTI people to pursue some sports,” said Lotus Flowers member Ľubomír Hanigovský.

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The Bratislava-based club is open to anybody, even anti-LGBTI people. At a time when Slovak society is polarised, the Lotus Flowers hope they can help change these people’s minds through interaction in sports.

“We are not monsters,” Hanigovský added.

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Listen to the full interview with the Lotus Flowers member to learn what should change in order to see the first professional Slovak athlete to come out.

Exam topic: Sports and Games

Other study materials:

Glossary: US basketball players, coach from Texas, and Slovakia's only LGBTI sports club Read more  The NBA did not work out for them. US basketball players star in Slovakia's top league Read more  She trained top NHL athletes, now the Texan works with Trnava teachers Read more 

The Spectator College is a programme designed to support the study and teaching of English in Slovakia, as well as to inspire interest in important public issues among young people.

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