Queer Sport Split

Queer Sport Split (often shortened to QSS) is a Croatian non-governmental, non-profit organisation whose full name is 'Society for promotion of queer culture through sport and recreation' (Društvo za promicanje queer kulture kroz sport i rekreaciju). It operates in the fields of sport, recreation and culture, and occasionally in informal education and research on discrimination and emancipation of the LGBTIQ+ population. It existed as an informal initiative from 2006 and was registered in 2011 in Split, becoming the first LGBTIQ+ initiative-organisation in Dalmatia. Locally, QSS works in queer culture and sports recreation for the LGBTIQ+ community, organising a wide range of activities from excursions and hiking, bowling, bocce and swimming to sports-recreation excursions for competitions and socialising under programmes such as 'Sport i pivo' (Sport and Beer), 'PlesnjaQ', 'Domaćinstvo' and the knitting 'Maraton na iglama' (Marathon on Needles). It also conducts extensive and ambitious research (in 2013, with LORI and Zagreb Pride, the largest field research on homophobia), publishing, counselling and presentations, all aimed at informing, inspiring, recreating and socialising LGBTIQ+ people. QSS co-organises and supports Split Pride activities and participates in the LGBT Centre Split platform and the Platform of the House of Youth. It also organises and produces artistic interventions-actions (such as PopUP Duge in 2014, in collaboration with Tools for Action) in public space, and hosts artivists in residencies such as artist Maria Molteni, who writes about the association: '...interventions are like "soft activism": activism that intervenes in the city's public space through crochet and knitting. The first intervention was during the planning of Split Pride 2012, when knitted flags pointed to the right of all citizens to public space, a right denied to the LGBTIQ population by the local government. In 2014, Queer Sport Split held the "Marathon on Needles" public "knitting", to promote access to public space, guerrilla activism and participation.' In recent years QSS has organised activities around ballroom culture and vogue dance in collaboration with the CLUBTURE platform, House of Flamingo, qSPORT Zagreb, and other organisations and dance studios. Internationally, QSS is regularly active and in 2012 co-organised the international gathering 'Contesting/Contexting SPORT 2012' together with EPAS (the Council of Europe body responsible for sport), EGLSF (European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation) and qSPORT Zagreb (with which it cooperates continuously). QSS contributes to important international exhibitions, conferences and good-practice publications in sport. In 2018-2019 QSS led the international Erasmus+ research project 'Beyond Binaries' with four other organisations active in LGBTIQ+ sport and recreation, in cooperation with institutions, networks and initiatives active in the field of sport research and organising. In 2019-2020 it was a partner in 'Rainbow Youth for Sporting Equity', a research and education project led by LEAP Sports Scotland and the European University Sports Association, and in the regional project 'CEEyouSPORT' led by EGLSF with sports initiatives from Central and Eastern Europe. QSS is also a member of the regional LGBTI+ advocacy network ERA and is its local contact point for reporting LGBTIQ+ violence.

Queer Sport Split (QSS) is a Croatian non-governmental, non-profit organisation whose full name is 'Society for promotion of queer culture through sport and recreation' (Društvo za promicanje queer kulture kroz sport i rekreaciju). It operates in the fields of sport, recreation and culture, and occasionally in informal education and research on discrimination and emancipation of the LGBTIQ+ population. It existed as an informal initiative from 2006 and was registered in 2011 in Split, becoming the first LGBTIQ+ initiative-organisation in Dalmatia. Locally, QSS works in queer culture and sports recreation for the LGBTIQ+ community, organising a wide range of activities from excursions and hiking, bowling, bocce and swimming to sports-recreation excursions for competitions and socialising under programmes such as 'Sport i pivo' (Sport and Beer), 'PlesnjaQ', 'Domaćinstvo' and the knitting 'Maraton na iglama' (Marathon on Needles). It also conducts extensive and ambitious research (in 2013, with LORI and Zagreb Pride, the largest field research on homophobia), publishing, counselling and presentations, all aimed at informing, inspiring, recreating and socialising LGBTIQ+ people. QSS co-organises and supports Split Pride activities and participates in the LGBT Centre Split platform and the Platform of the House of Youth. It also organises and produces artistic interventions-actions (such as PopUP Duge in 2014, in collaboration with Tools for Action) in public space, and hosts artivists in residencies such as artist Maria Molteni, who writes about the association: '...interventions are like "soft activism": activism that intervenes in the city's public space through crochet and knitting. The first intervention was during the planning of Split Pride 2012, when knitted flags pointed to the right of all citizens to public space, a right denied to the LGBTIQ population by the local government. In 2014, Queer Sport Split held the "Marathon on Needles" public "knitting", to promote access to public space, guerrilla activism and participation.' In recent years QSS has organised activities around ballroom culture and vogue dance in collaboration with the CLUBTURE platform, House of Flamingo, qSPORT Zagreb, and other organisations and dance studios. Internationally, QSS is regularly active and in 2012 co-organised the international gathering 'Contesting/Contexting SPORT 2012' together with EPAS (the Council of Europe body responsible for sport), EGLSF (European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation) and qSPORT Zagreb (with which it cooperates continuously). QSS contributes to important international exhibitions, conferences and good-practice publications in sport. In 2018-2019 QSS led the international Erasmus+ research project 'Beyond Binaries' with four other organisations active in LGBTIQ+ sport and recreation, in cooperation with institutions, networks and initiatives active in the field of sport research and organising. In 2019-2020 it was a partner in 'Rainbow Youth for Sporting Equity', a research and education project led by LEAP Sports Scotland and the European University Sports Association, and in the regional project 'CEEyouSPORT' led by EGLSF with sports initiatives from Central and Eastern Europe. QSS is also a member of the regional LGBTI+ advocacy network ERA and is its local contact point for reporting LGBTIQ+ violence.

• 2019

  Partner in 'Rainbow Youth for Sporting Equity' and 'CEEyouSPORT' (2019-2020).

• 2018

  Led the international Erasmus+ research project 'Beyond Binaries' (2018-2019).

• 2014

  Organised PopUP Duge in collaboration with Tools for Action and held the 'Maraton na iglama' public knitting event.

• 2013

  Conducted the largest field research on homophobia with LORI and Zagreb Pride.

• 2012

  Co-organised the international gathering 'Contesting/Contexting SPORT 2012' with EPAS, EGLSF and qSPORT Zagreb.

• 2011

  Registered in Split as the first LGBTIQ+ initiative-organisation in Dalmatia.

• 2006

  Exists as an informal initiative.

Non-profit LGBTIQ+ organisation using sport, recreation and culture for community building, research and advocacy; first LGBTIQ+ initiative-organisation in Dalmatia.

1. 1Queer Sport Split - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Queer Sport Split - Wikipedia (sh)sh.wikipedia.org