Programme, 'Roller Derby, Liverpool Roller Birds present - live double header'

“When I joined the roller derby team, Liverpool Roller Birds (LRB), I didn't know what to expect. I was delighted to find them to be a hugely welcoming and friendly community that's more than about just playing sports. Not only is the team diverse in the social backgrounds and day-to-day lives of people it attracts, I suddenly found myself surrounded by other women and people that identified as different parts of the LGBT spectrum that had naturally gravitated towards the sport. It's my first experience being a part of an LGBT community that has things in common outside of simply being not straight or not cisgendered, and I've loved every minute of being in the team. People are hugely open in LRB 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. The same patterns of LGBT acceptance crops up in other teams as well, roller derby just seems to attract us and I can see why! It's great for people who are trans too. Although the leagues tend to be split by men/women, trans people who identify outside of the binary (or within!) freely choose which league they skate with by what they feel most comfortable with and are always welcome, be it in LRB or any other roller derby team.” Bethany Gwynn-Adams, Liverpool Roller Birds, speaking on 30 March 2016