Windy City Curling is committed to being a curling club open to all members of the community, regardless of background or identity. We know diversity is what makes us great. Yet, when it comes to curling, we also know there is still a lot of work to do before our membership truly reflects the demographics of the world around us.
That’s why Windy City Curling is taking active steps to reach out to groups currently under-represented on our ice. This includes members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, women, and juniors, among others.
We’re not alone in this quest to increase representation in curling. We’re joining dozens of other curlers, clubs, and groups who are spear-heading outreach initiatives to bring more diverse people into our amazing sport.
On this page, you’ll find some of the work we’re doing, along with resources you can use to help us make WCC an even more warm, inviting, and inclusive club for all.
Code of Conduct
To supplement our Statement of Non-discrimination, Windy City Curling has adopted a Code of Conduct for our members to abide by. While we believe our membership is already pretty great, this Code helps spell out the high standards of inclusivity we expect whether you’ve been curling with us for a few weeks, or a few years.
If you’re ever made to feel excluded or unwelcome in our spaces; if you witness or experience any lewd or inappropriate behavior; or, if you see or experience harassment from another member, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Windy City Curling takes every report seriously. Details can be found in the Code of Conduct.
Community Resources
The Global Initiative for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Curling was established to make our sport more diverse, equitable, and inclusive by drawing upon the collective wisdom, passions, skills, and resources of its members.
As we strive to eliminate entry barriers and create a fair, level playing field for everyone, the Windy City Curling Board of Directors unanimously agreed in June of 2021 to sign on to the Global Initiative’s Group Charter to hold ourselves accountable to our club, our members, and the curling community as a whole.
The Global Initiative for DEI also hosts a number of great videos on their YouTube page, including this panel discussion on bringing more LGBTQIA+ curlers into the sport (It features, among many others, U.S. gold-medalist John Shuster & Global Initiative co-founder/U.S. athlete from Team Sinclair, Monica Walker):
Visit their Facebook page or find them on Instagram and on Twitter to learn more!
The Curler Outreach Program hosts educational videos for curlers of all levels to share their knowledge on different aspects of the game – both on and off the ice.
In addition to being a great resource for developing an athlete’s on-ice game and technique, the Curler Outreach Program has hosted some very insightful panel discussions about diversity and inclusion in curling.
These include such topics as:
- How to Build Inclusive Beginners Programs
- Including Adaptive Curling in Your Own Club
- Bringing More Women into the Sport of Curling
- Real Experiences Faced by Curlers of Color
- The Courage to Curl with LGBTQ+ Pride
(NOTE: This is a selected list to highlight some of the free videos of the Curler Outreach Program. There are many more available on their website. Be advised, some of their other educational videos may require a nominal fee to watch.)
You can also follow the Curler Outreach Program on Twitter.
Goldline Curling is working to #ChangeTheFaceOfCurling, and Windy City Curling is proud to do its part to help. Launched in 2020, this initiative believes, quite simply, we have not done enough.
To fix this, Goldline President Erin Flowers (on Twitter here) has hosted a series of Instagram discussions to “Continue the Conversation” with Dr. Richard Norman. You can find those here, and here.
Goldline has also created a new broom series as part of their #UnitedWeCurl campaign.
Designed by Andrew Paris, Greyden Yee Louison, and U.S. athlete Deb Martin (whom some of our Windy City curlers have had the honor to compete against at a bonspiel or two!), these broom wraps were created to celebrate and promote diversity within our sport. Proceeds from the sale of these brooms go to Intiatives chosen by each designer.
You can listen to what inspired the three of them to make these beautiful designs, in a conversation with Dr. Richard Norman here:
USA Curling is our sport’s governing body here in the United States. As Windy City Curling joins more curlers, clubs, groups, and organizations in making safe, inclusive spaces for a diverse spectrum of athletes, it is vital our leaders join us in this journey.
To that end, the USCA formed a Diversity & Inclusion Committee to help lead the charge. This groups of volunteers and staff are dedicated to helping adaptive athletes, members of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, and their allies get into clubs across America, and onto the ice.
In addition to offering Education & Resources on their website, the USCA has also created the Ice Breakers Program.
This is a pilot program to help clubs grow their own Diversity & Inclusion initiatives. You can hear Deb Martin and Dean Gemmell introduce the program here:
To stay up-to-date on the latest happenings, follow USA Curling on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
