In Conversation with Pierre Gouverneur from Knockout LGBTQ+ Boxing
Pierre via Knockout Instagram
Welcome to Rally’s interview series, introducing you to powerhouse leaders in the LGBTQ+ sports community who are featured on our app! Follow along to learn more about the different sports groups they represent, and how to get connected to queer sports sessions in your area.
We sat down with Pierre Gouverneur, coach and co-chair at Knockout Boxing London, to hear more about his journey in boxing and Knockout’s goals as the UK’s first explicitly LGBTQ+ amateur boxing club to affiliate with England Boxing.
KNOCKOUT: A COMMUNITY OF QUEER BOXING ENTHUSIASTS
As one of the UK’s only boxing clubs solely for LGBTQ+ sports enthusiasts, Gouverneur and the Knockout team’s work is boosting the confidence of an entire community. Knockout offers foundational training for newbies as well as mixed-level classes, encouraging those from all skill sets to join a class. The club runs no - contact sessions, and prides itself on offering a participant centered experience, increasing accessibility for attendees.
Knockout at London Pride 2023. Photo by Camille Benedet
“We really tried to embrace this new way of teaching where, we want you to have fun, we have really good techniques and we're going to push you, but we're not going to push you where you're uncomfortable,” Gouverneur explained.
Additionally, Gouverneur emphasized the significance of sober spaces for LGBTQIA+ people to connect, which is often lacking in the queer community.
“A big part of the Knockout community [are] people who want to meet other queer people not in a club, not in a bar and not on an app,” Gouverneur said. “I think it's really important in the queer community to have queer spaces that are not centered around consumption of either drugs, alcohol, or sex.”
And it’s true, queer people need healthy outlets and options for connection. Outside of boxing sessions, Knockout also organizes social events like musical nights, dinners, and trips abroad to foster community.
BOXING WITHOUT THE B.S.
Though he is currently leading Knockout, Gouverneur didn’t initially start out with a huge interest in sports, squashed by bullying in P.E. and overly masculine attitudes within boxing culture. As he began to feel more comfortable and confident in his early twenties, he followed through on boxing, a sport he’d always wanted to try. However, he didn’t feel safe in the various boxing clubs he attended, which resulted in him keeping his sexuality hidden.
Photo by Chris Jepson
“There's a lot of toxic masculinity, there's a lot of ‘Who's the most macho,’ there's these kinds of behaviors that I was like, ‘I don't gel with this,” Gouverneur recounts.
Gouverneur settled into a routine at a club led by a queer woman, recommended by one of his friends, and was able to explore Thai boxing. After this club shut down, Gouverneur returned back to mainstream boxing clubs, but found that like before, he wasn’t able to relax in these spaces.
“I just slowly pulled away, up to the point where I kind of stopped boxing. I really missed it and then I heard about Knockout,” Gouverneur said. “I thought, ‘It’s English boxing, that’s not what I do, I do Thai, but let’s give it a try.’ And then I started, and I was like ‘Oh my god I love this.’”
Gouverneur initially joined Knockout in 2018 when there was only one coach and 20 members, and has aided in the growth of the club, which now has eleven coaches and 175 members.
Through England Boxing, he earned his coaching license, helping the club to expand levels of training to accommodate various skill levels and to increase the retention rate of members. As the club has flourished, Gouverneur expressed excitement about helping other LGBTQIA+ people learn boxing skills.
“I think creating a space where I see people being fully themselves, making new friends, and being like, ‘I'm doing this, I'm throwing a real freaking punch,’ [or] ‘I can do this, I did a full combo,’ [or] ‘I'm dodging,’ and seeing them blossom, I think that's what I find so fulfilling is that, their joy brings me joy,” Gouverneur said.
RESISTING ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATION IN UK BOXING
Gouverneur shared how Knockout’s recent affiliation with England Boxing furthers the club’s goal of resisting anti-trans legislation enacted by various sports bodies in the UK. One motivator to get affiliated was to provide a route for queer and trans boxers to participate in competitions, increasing LGBTQIA+ representation in the sport. As Knockout is the first LGBTQ+ club to join England Boxing, they are leading the way in creating a safe environment for trans, non-binary, and queer competitors.
Knockout member Jill LeFlour. Photo by Camille Benedet
The sports world has seen an uptick of transphobic legislation - in March 2023 UK Athletics banned all trans women from athletic events. England Boxing does not permit trans fighters to compete against cis fighters, or offer a trans inclusive competitor certification process, effectively banning their involvement in competition.
“A big angle for us joining England Boxing and having a voice within the official body was to say we are not happy with this, and we are going to disagree … and the best place to do that is having a seat at the table,” Gouverneur said.
Despite the ongoing debate about trans inclusion in sports, this affiliation allows for Knockout to challenge discriminatory legislation. Starting with conversations with Knockout’s trans members, Gouverneur explained that the club is building a strategy to demand inclusion and respect for trans boxers in the UK.
LEARN FROM THE KNOCKOUT FLOCK
Knockout London is ready to welcome you to the queer boxing community, no matter your skill set or ability. Learn how to hook, jab, and uppercut all while learning from one of the UK’s only queer centered boxing communities.
The Rally app is available for download on iPhone, providing more information about practice sessions. Rally aims to connect and empower the LGBTQIA+ community together through sport, providing users access to information about local LGBTQ+ sports teams and clubs.