Liverpool Roller Birds chosen as the face of ‘health and wellbeing’ for National Museums Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ collections

Bout program cover, that is now part of the Museum of Liverpool’s collections.

We are proud and honoured to announce, that we have been chosen as the face of ‘health and wellbeing’ as part of National Museums Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ collections.

Our league is one of three Liverpool-based LGBTQ+ friendly sports teams to be included in the online collection. The collection includes objects that demonstrate health and wellbeing associated with inclusive sports and healthcare.

The museums asked us to contribute to the collection and they now hold the cover from our Sisters of Mersey vs Vagine Ragime UK bout programme from 2015.

The collection also features an interview with Liverpool Roller Birds skater, Bethany Gwynn-Adams (Pen Gwyn) from March 2016.

In the interview, Bethany shares her experience of skating within Liverpool Roller Birds:

“People are hugely open in Liverpool Roller Birds if they want to be and I’ve never heard anything negative about anyone in the sport. There’s even an international team for any person who identifies within the LGBT spectrum called Vagine Regime! Being LGBT is a part of the norm for roller derby teams. I find that normality extraordinary, so I cherish it.”

We are so happy to be included in this fantastic LGBTQ+ collection and to become part of Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ story. Liverpool Roller Birds is proud to welcome skaters from the LGBTQ+ community – and anyone who identifies as a woman is able to join as a skater.

As a league, we strive to enable individuals from all walks of life, backgrounds and bodies to engage and be empowered by roller derby.

At Liverpool Pride, 2016

We’re always looking for ways to engage with our local community and this has included supporting LGBTQ+ causes and key dates – last year we had a brilliant time taking part in the city’s famous Pride celebrations. We got to meet some of Liverpool’s LGBT sports teams, including Mersey Marauders FC , who are also featured in the museum’s collection.

We will continue to be committed to an ethos of inclusion and excellence – and we look forward to working with Museum of Liverpool again in the future!

Liverpool Roller Birds’program cover and interview, included in the collection, can be seen online at: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/collections/lgbt/health-and-wellbeing/