Sat be 'gay in' ahead of AFL's gural Pri Game

Contents:

• THE AFL’S GROWG PROBLEM WH VISIBILY OF GAY PLAYERS
• SAT BE 'GAY IN' AHEAD OF AFL'S GURAL PRI GAME
• HOW LGBTQI+ AFL FANS HAVE BAND TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORK OF PRI GROUPSTHE AFL MIGHT BE BY NAVIGATG RONAVIS, BUT S FANS REMA AS LOYAL AS EVER. FOR LGBTQI+ ATRALIANS WHO HAVE PREVLY REPORTED FEELG UNWELE BY THE MEN'S GAME, THEY HAVE BEEN MOBILISG TO FE A NEW SENSE OF BELONGG.RABOW CROWS MEMBERS CELEBRATE AFTER THE 2019 AFLW GRAND FAL SOURCE: FACEBOOKPL CONIGL HAS BEEN A PAID MEMBER OF THE ESSENDON BOMBERS FOR 26 YEARS.BUT LIKE MANY LGBTQI+ ATRALIANS, HE’S FACED DIFFICULTI RENCILG HIS SEXUALY AND LOVE OF ATRALIAN L FOOTBALL.THE 41-YEAR-OLD IS THE CURRENT PRINT OF THE PURPLE BOMBERS, ONE OF 16 LGBTQI+ SUPPORTER GROUPS ASSOCIATED WH THEIR RPECTIVE AFL CLUBS ACROSS THE LEAGUE.“WHAT WE DO IS CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR LGBTQI+ FANS AT THE FOOTBALL AND A SENSE OF BELONGG,” HE TOLD SBS NEWS.“BUT WE ALSO SEEK TO TE AFL FANS AROUND ATRALIA ABOUT LGBTQI+ ISSU. WE WANT TO SHARE STORI AND TALK ABOUT REAL-LIFE EVENTS SO PEOPLE N UNRSTAND WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQI+ MUNY.”PURPLE BOMBERS PRINT PL CONIGL SOURCE: SUPPLIEDMR CONIGL SAID “THERE IS A LOT THAT YOU HAVE TO NTEND WH'' WHEN ATTENDG AFL MATCH AS AN LGBTQI+ PERSON.“IF AN UMPIRE OR OPPOSN PLAYER DO SOMETHG A SUPPORTER DON’T LIKE, THEY MAY CHOOSE TO E HOMOPHOBIC LANGUAGE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE MAY BE GAY OR LBIAN PEOPLE PRENT. IT MAK YOU FEEL LIKE LS OF A PERSON, AND SOME WAYS, YOU DON’T FEEL SAFE.” MR CONIGL SAID THE GROUP STARTED AFTER HE AND THE GROUP’S FOUNR WENT TO AN ESSENDON FUNCTN 2014 WH THEIR PARTNERS, BUT DIDN’T FEEL FORTABLE TO BE THEMSELV.“WE WENT HOME REALLY TRATED AND CID TO LL THE CLUB AND CHECK WHETHER THERE WAS TERT SUPPORTG AN LGBTQI+ FAN CLUB,” HE SAID.AND THERE WAS.THE PURPLE BOMBERS HAS NTUED TO GROW EACH YEAR AND ALMOST ALL AFL CLUBS NOW HAVE DITED LGBTQI+ FAN GROUPS, WHICH OPERATE AS PART OF A ALN LLED THE AFL PRI COLLECTIVE.REPRENTATIV OM EACH GROUP MEET A FEW TIM A YEAR TO DISCS MON ISSU AND LLABORATE AT VAR AFL EVENTS AND PRI FTIVALS AROUND ATRALIA.READ MORE'MARDI GRAS GIV LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE WH NO HOPE A REASON TO LIVE'THE RABOW CROWS, THE SUPPORTER GROUP OF THE ALAI CROWS, STARTED AUGT 2016 AS A FACEBOOK PAGE.SCE THEN, “THGS HAVE BLOSSOMED REALLY QUICKLY”, SAID S PRINT AND FOUNR BRETT MCALONEY.“THERE IS A REAL MARARIE - AND THAT’S NOT JT WH THE RABOW CROWS.” “WE ALSO HAVE A REAL CLOSE MARARIE WH ALL THE OTHER QUEER SUPPORTER GROUPS ACROSS THE AFL. WE TRAVEL TERSTATE AND TCH UP WH THE OTHER SUPPORTER GROUPS. “IT IS PROVIDG THAT SAFE SPACE AND CREATG VISIBILY ... TELLG THOSE KIDS AT HOME, THOSE ADULTS STILL STGGLG [WH THEIR SEXUALY], THAT 'S OKAY TO BE WHO YOU ARE.”RABOW CROWS PRINT BRETT MCALONEY SOURCE: SUPPLIEDA STUDY BY WTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSY AND CRICKET VICTORIA WAS MISSNED LAST YEAR TO UNRSTAND HOW LGBTQI+ SUPPORTER GROUPS ULD BE IATED AND SUPPORTED THE BIG BASH LEAGUE.AS PART OF THE STUDY, WHICH WAS RELEASED EARLIER THIS YEAR, EIGHT PARTICIPANTS SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCE OF NNG LGBTQI+ SUPPORTER GROUPS WH THE AFL. “ONE OF THE THGS THAT STCK MOST ABOUT THE AFL SUPPORTER GROUPS WAS HOW MUCH POSIVELY IMPROVED LGBTQI+ PEOPLE’S LIV,” LEAD THOR RYAN STORR SAID.“THEY ULD ENGAGE AND MEET PEOPLE AND HAVE NEW IENDS, HAVE A PURPOSE THAT WEEKEND, BE PART OF A CLUB AND HAVE AN INTY.“SOME PEOPLE SPOKE REALLY EPLY ABOUT HOW AFFECTED THEM THROUGH THE UNCERTATY OF THE MARRIAGE EQUALY SURVEY, WHEN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH WAS NOT A GOOD PLACE, BUT THE SUPPORT OF THEIR SUPPORTERS GROUP AND THEIR IENDS THERE REALLY HELPED THEM THROUGH .”AFL PRI COLLECTIVE MEMBERS AT THE MIDSUMMA PRI MARCH MELBOURNE THIS YEAR SOURCE: FACEBOOKDR STORR SAID THERE WERE SEVERAL TRANSGENR PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE OTHERWISE ENGAGED WH THE SPORT.“BUT BEE THEY KNEW PEOPLE AND THERE WAS A SUPPORTIVE GROUP, THEY ACTUALLY STARTED ATTENDG MATCH.”DR STORR SAID THE STUDY FOUND MANY OF THE AFL GROUPS BEGAN DUE TO A PERCEPTN THAT MATCH WERE NOT AS WELG AS THEY ULD BE.“IT ALL STARTED WH A VERY PASSNATE AND DITED BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS WHO DID ALL THE WORK OFF THEIR OWN BACK,” HE SAID.“SOME OF THE PEOPLE TERVIEWED SAID THEY GREW UP WH AFL ... BUT THEY DIDN’T REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY ULD BE PART OF AND CLUD.”“THE AFL SUPPORTER GROUPS REALISE THAT AND THAT THEY N PROVI A WAY TO FEEL NNECTED TO THE CLUB A WAY THAT MEANS SOMETHG TO THEM.”READ MOREAFL PLAYERS TAKE A KNEE SUPPORT OF BLACK LIV MATTER MOVEMENTPREV REARCH HAS SHOWN AFL ENVIRONMENTS HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN AS LGBTQI+ IENDLY AS THEY ULD BE.A VICHEALTH REPORT ON LGBTQI+ CLN THE AFL 2017 SHOWED THAT HALF OF LGBTQI+ RPONNTS DID NOT VIEW GENERAL AFL MATCH AS A SAFE OR WELG ENVIRONMENT.A 2015 STUDY FOUND 80 PER CENT OF ATRALIANS VOLVED SPORT HAVE WNSED HOMOPHOBIA, WHICH LED TO THE CREATN OF THE PRI SPORT INX, AN STMENT SPECIFILLY SIGNED TO ASSS LGBTQI+ CLN ATRALIAN SPORT.FANS, CLUBS AND SPORTS LEAGU OF ALL PERSUASNS BENEF OM HAVG AN CLIVE ENVIRONMENT, DR STORR SAID.“WHEN SPORTS ANISATNS ENGAGE LGBTQI+ DIVERSY, N ATTRACT NEW FANS, BRG PEOPLE TO THE SPORT,” HE SAID.“THEY’LL POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, MAYBE GO TO THE PRI GAM. IT BENEFS EVERYBODY BEE THE SPORT IS GETTG NEW FANS AND CREASED REVENUE.”CORONAVIS IMPACTPRR TO THE START OF THE 2020 SEASON AND THE RONAVIS SHUTDOWN, THE PURPLE BOMBERS HAD MORE THAN 100 MEMBERS SIGNED UP AND A RAFT OF EVENTS PLANNED FOR THE YEAR.MR CONIGL SAID WHILE THE VIS “PRETTY MUCH STALLED” MOST OF WHAT WAS PLANNED - CLUDG A LARGE -PERSON INTERNATNAL DAY AGAST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND BIPHOBIA CELEBRATN - THE PURPLE BOMBERS HAVE BEEN RALLYG TOGETHER ONLE.“WE ME UP WH SOME FANTASTIC IAS THAT I KNOW WE WOULDN’T HAVE EVEN NSIRED A NON-COVID ENVIRONMENT. IT’S PROBABLY STRENGTHENED OUR MMENT TO MUNY ENGAGEMENT AS OUR NUMBER PRRY MOVG FORWARD,” HE SAID.“WE ARE CURRENTLY ROLLG OUT OUR ONLE WATCH PARTI FOR THE FIRST FEW ROUNDS WHERE MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS N WATCH THE GAME TOGETHER WHILST NNECTED TO ZOOM TO CELEBRATE THE GAME AND DISCS TACTICS.”MR CONIGL SAID HE AND OTHER MEMBERS HAVE HELPED EACH OTHER GET THROUGH THE PANMIC.“WE HAVE HAD REGULAR MEETGS AND REGULAR TCH-UPS TO KEEP OUR NNECTN AND MOMENTUM DURG THE PANMIC - WAS GREAT TO HAVE THE MTEE NNECTNS AS SOMETHG TO LOOK FORWARD TO.”RABOW CROWS MEMBERS GATHERED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME MONTHS TO WATCH A MATCH AN ALAI PUB A FEW WEEKENDS AGO SOURCE: SUPPLIEDMR MCALONEY SAID MANY OF THE RABOW CROWS’ SCHLED ACTIVI, CLUDG A MEET-UP WH THE PURPLE BOMBERS FOR A GAME MELBOURNE, HAVE ALSO BEEN UNABLE TO PROCEED.BUT LIKE THE BOMBERS’ PRI GROUP, CROWS MEMBERS HAVE BEEN FDG WAYS TO KEEP NTACT.“WE HAVE ALSO HELD A FEW ONLE 'WATCH PARTI' WHEN OLD CROWS GAM WERE BEG PLAYED ON TV SO PEOPLE ULD TCH UP, AND A GROUP OF MEMBERS WENT MPG ON THE JUNE LONG WEEKEND WHEN SOUTH ATRALIA’S TRAVEL RTRICTNS WERE LIFTED.”“WE HELD A DNER AT A PUB A FEW WEEKS AGO, WHICH WE BOOKED OUT THE DG ROOM TO KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCG BUT WATCH THE GAME TOGETHER AND TCH UP FOR THE FIRST TIME MONTHS. WE ARE EXCED TO HAVE FOOTY BACK ON!”INCLIVY THE WOMEN'S GAMEMR CONIGL SAID “THERE'S A LOT OF WORK” TO BE DONE BEFORE THE AFL ULD MATCH THE LGBTQI+ ACCEPTANCE THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE, THE AFLW. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPENLY-GAY PLAYERS, CLUDG A UPLE, THE  AFLW, AND EARLIER THIS YEAR SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE LED A STREET MELBOURNE'S WT TO WATCH A PRI MARCH THE LEAD UP TO A MATCH BETWEEN THE WTERN BULLDOGS AND THE CARLTON BLU.“IF YOU LOOK AT THE AFLW, THEY ARE DOG SOME GREAT THGS THE QUEER SPACE. BUT I THK WE ARE NOT MOVG FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS WE ULD BE THE MEN’S GAME,” MR CONIGL SAID.PLAYERS N THROUGH THE PRI BANNER DURG THE ROUND 3, 2020 AFLW MATCH BETWEEN THE WTERN BULLDOGS AND CARLTON. SOURCE: AAPTHE AFL DID NOT RPOND TO A REQUT FOR MENT OM SBS NEWS. IN 2017, THE AFL WAS NAMED THE GURAL ORGANISATN OF THE YEAR AT THE PRI SPORT AWARDS, A YEAR AFTER HELD THE VERY FIRST ‘PRI GAME’ BETWEEN THE ST KILDA SATS AND SYDNEY SWANS.WH THE MATCH NOW AN ANNUAL FIXTURE, THERE HAVE BEEN LLS FOR A PRI ROUND, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNHEED.“I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE A LTLE B FUNNY ABOUT THAT AND SAY ‘WHY BRG POLICS TO FOOTBALL?' BUT MAKG SURE AN ENVIRONMENT IS CLIVE, IENDLY AND ACCEPTG OF EVERYONE - HOW IS THAT A POLIL THG?” MR MCALONEY SAID. MR MCALONEY SAID PRI GROUPS WILL PROVI SUPPORT FOR FUTURE GENERATNS OF YOUNG LGBTQI+ AFL FANS ATRALIA.“IT CERTALY TOOK QUE A NUMBER OF YEARS TO E TO AN ACCEPTANCE OF WHO I WAS."“I DON’T WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I FELT AND EXPERIENCED.”LGBTIQ+ ATRALIANS SEEKG SUPPORT N NTACT QLIFE ON 1800 184 527 OR VIS ALSO HAS A LIST OF SUPPORT SERVIC.SHARE8 M READPUBLISHED 16 JULY 2020 2:49PMUPDATED 23 FEBARY 2022 3:41PMBY EVAN YOUNGTAGSSPORTLIFESOCIAL DIVERSYSOCIAL ISSUNEW SOUTH WALSYDNEYSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU
• 'I'VE HAD TO MASK MY FEELGS': A-LEAGUE PLAYER OUT AS GAY EMOTNAL SOCIAL POSTS
• “I KNOW 10 OR 12 GAY AFL PLAYERS” REVEALS JACK VIDGEN ON I’M A CELEB…
• ‘WOULD BE WORTH ALL THAT PRSURE?’: WHY THERE ARE NO OUT GAY MEN PLAYG AFL
• ‘I HAVE BEEN FIGHTG MY SEXUALY’: A-LEAGUE MEN PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO OUT AS GAY
• ‘I N UNRSTAND’: GAY PLAYERS THE AFL ‘CHOOSG NOT TO BE FIRST’ OUT PUBLICLY SAYS GILL MCLACHLAN
• WHY IS AFL THE ONLY PRO SPORT TO NEVER HAVE AN OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER?
• AS AN OPENLY GAY FOOTY PLAYER, I ULD ONLY DREAM OF THIS MOMENT: AFL’S PRI GAME IS HISTORIC

THE AFL’S GROWG PROBLEM WH VISIBILY OF GAY PLAYERS

SportAFLLGBTQThis was published 1 year agoOpnIn one key rpect, the AFL is lookg creasgly out of touch wh our broar society: the glarg lack of anybody the male playg group who is out and openly gay when, most other spher of life, people now feel fortable and safe to e wh sensible morn rporatns, the AFL’s executiv and key figur are well versed the phraseology of diversy and clivy. The AFLW petn clus many LGBTQ players, a fact that go virtually unremarked upon, and clubs Sydney and St Kilda play an annual pri Cavallo of the Alai Uned A-League men’s Getty ImagOf urse a person’s sexualy is their own bs and nobody would wish that someone felt prsured to e out as gay.

No doubt much of the attentn would be posive, but there would probably also be a luge of hate – across the fence, on talkback rad, perhaps om others on the field, and particularly the cspools of social A-League player Josh Cavallo beme the first active top-flight male profsnal soccer player the world to e out as gay, he received enormo support om some quarters, cludg landg a lucrative sponsorship.

SAT BE 'GAY IN' AHEAD OF AFL'S GURAL PRI GAME

It will not be enough for the petn to say is none of s bs, or, worse, to rely on a particular player orr to market self as an “clive” Denison, a behavural science rearcher at Monash Universy’s School of Social Scienc, wrote The Age last year that “the visibily of [gay] male AFL players is a symptom of a ser problem that has long been ignored by the AFL and other erng bodi”, which is that people actually fear g out, fear beg themselv. His own rearch suggted the AFL had done “ls on the issue of homophobia than any other major sport Atralia, or globally” ti may slowly be turng.

Fox Footy sacked reporter Tom Morris over sexist and homophobic remarks he ma about a female lleague as well as separate racist slurs. As Greg Bm and Sam McClure wrote on Monday of the Morris tap, “The laddish tone and homophobic language ed the rerdgs also raised the qutn: how tolerant is the AFL dtry, really, of LGBTQI people?

While footballers, umpir, ach and club staff who are gay feel forced to ny a part of themselv and are unable to live their liv fully the open, the game suffers, and so do the broar is such a large part of our social and cultural liv, and so many boys want to be a part of that has a duty to try to support people of all sexuali.

HOW LGBTQI+ AFL FANS HAVE BAND TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORK OF PRI GROUPSTHE AFL MIGHT BE BY NAVIGATG RONAVIS, BUT S FANS REMA AS LOYAL AS EVER. FOR LGBTQI+ ATRALIANS WHO HAVE PREVLY REPORTED FEELG UNWELE BY THE MEN'S GAME, THEY HAVE BEEN MOBILISG TO FE A NEW SENSE OF BELONGG.RABOW CROWS MEMBERS CELEBRATE AFTER THE 2019 AFLW GRAND FAL SOURCE: FACEBOOKPL CONIGL HAS BEEN A PAID MEMBER OF THE ESSENDON BOMBERS FOR 26 YEARS.BUT LIKE MANY LGBTQI+ ATRALIANS, HE’S FACED DIFFICULTI RENCILG HIS SEXUALY AND LOVE OF ATRALIAN L FOOTBALL.THE 41-YEAR-OLD IS THE CURRENT PRINT OF THE PURPLE BOMBERS, ONE OF 16 LGBTQI+ SUPPORTER GROUPS ASSOCIATED WH THEIR RPECTIVE AFL CLUBS ACROSS THE LEAGUE.“WHAT WE DO IS CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR LGBTQI+ FANS AT THE FOOTBALL AND A SENSE OF BELONGG,” HE TOLD SBS NEWS.“BUT WE ALSO SEEK TO TE AFL FANS AROUND ATRALIA ABOUT LGBTQI+ ISSU. WE WANT TO SHARE STORI AND TALK ABOUT REAL-LIFE EVENTS SO PEOPLE N UNRSTAND WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQI+ MUNY.”PURPLE BOMBERS PRINT PL CONIGL SOURCE: SUPPLIEDMR CONIGL SAID “THERE IS A LOT THAT YOU HAVE TO NTEND WH'' WHEN ATTENDG AFL MATCH AS AN LGBTQI+ PERSON.“IF AN UMPIRE OR OPPOSN PLAYER DO SOMETHG A SUPPORTER DON’T LIKE, THEY MAY CHOOSE TO E HOMOPHOBIC LANGUAGE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE MAY BE GAY OR LBIAN PEOPLE PRENT. IT MAK YOU FEEL LIKE LS OF A PERSON, AND SOME WAYS, YOU DON’T FEEL SAFE.” MR CONIGL SAID THE GROUP STARTED AFTER HE AND THE GROUP’S FOUNR WENT TO AN ESSENDON FUNCTN 2014 WH THEIR PARTNERS, BUT DIDN’T FEEL FORTABLE TO BE THEMSELV.“WE WENT HOME REALLY TRATED AND CID TO LL THE CLUB AND CHECK WHETHER THERE WAS TERT SUPPORTG AN LGBTQI+ FAN CLUB,” HE SAID.AND THERE WAS.THE PURPLE BOMBERS HAS NTUED TO GROW EACH YEAR AND ALMOST ALL AFL CLUBS NOW HAVE DITED LGBTQI+ FAN GROUPS, WHICH OPERATE AS PART OF A ALN LLED THE AFL PRI COLLECTIVE.REPRENTATIV OM EACH GROUP MEET A FEW TIM A YEAR TO DISCS MON ISSU AND LLABORATE AT VAR AFL EVENTS AND PRI FTIVALS AROUND ATRALIA.READ MORE'MARDI GRAS GIV LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE WH NO HOPE A REASON TO LIVE'THE RABOW CROWS, THE SUPPORTER GROUP OF THE ALAI CROWS, STARTED AUGT 2016 AS A FACEBOOK PAGE.SCE THEN, “THGS HAVE BLOSSOMED REALLY QUICKLY”, SAID S PRINT AND FOUNR BRETT MCALONEY.“THERE IS A REAL MARARIE - AND THAT’S NOT JT WH THE RABOW CROWS.” “WE ALSO HAVE A REAL CLOSE MARARIE WH ALL THE OTHER QUEER SUPPORTER GROUPS ACROSS THE AFL. WE TRAVEL TERSTATE AND TCH UP WH THE OTHER SUPPORTER GROUPS. “IT IS PROVIDG THAT SAFE SPACE AND CREATG VISIBILY ... TELLG THOSE KIDS AT HOME, THOSE ADULTS STILL STGGLG [WH THEIR SEXUALY], THAT 'S OKAY TO BE WHO YOU ARE.”RABOW CROWS PRINT BRETT MCALONEY SOURCE: SUPPLIEDA STUDY BY WTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSY AND CRICKET VICTORIA WAS MISSNED LAST YEAR TO UNRSTAND HOW LGBTQI+ SUPPORTER GROUPS ULD BE IATED AND SUPPORTED THE BIG BASH LEAGUE.AS PART OF THE STUDY, WHICH WAS RELEASED EARLIER THIS YEAR, EIGHT PARTICIPANTS SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCE OF NNG LGBTQI+ SUPPORTER GROUPS WH THE AFL. “ONE OF THE THGS THAT STCK MOST ABOUT THE AFL SUPPORTER GROUPS WAS HOW MUCH POSIVELY IMPROVED LGBTQI+ PEOPLE’S LIV,” LEAD THOR RYAN STORR SAID.“THEY ULD ENGAGE AND MEET PEOPLE AND HAVE NEW IENDS, HAVE A PURPOSE THAT WEEKEND, BE PART OF A CLUB AND HAVE AN INTY.“SOME PEOPLE SPOKE REALLY EPLY ABOUT HOW AFFECTED THEM THROUGH THE UNCERTATY OF THE MARRIAGE EQUALY SURVEY, WHEN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH WAS NOT A GOOD PLACE, BUT THE SUPPORT OF THEIR SUPPORTERS GROUP AND THEIR IENDS THERE REALLY HELPED THEM THROUGH .”AFL PRI COLLECTIVE MEMBERS AT THE MIDSUMMA PRI MARCH MELBOURNE THIS YEAR SOURCE: FACEBOOKDR STORR SAID THERE WERE SEVERAL TRANSGENR PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE OTHERWISE ENGAGED WH THE SPORT.“BUT BEE THEY KNEW PEOPLE AND THERE WAS A SUPPORTIVE GROUP, THEY ACTUALLY STARTED ATTENDG MATCH.”DR STORR SAID THE STUDY FOUND MANY OF THE AFL GROUPS BEGAN DUE TO A PERCEPTN THAT MATCH WERE NOT AS WELG AS THEY ULD BE.“IT ALL STARTED WH A VERY PASSNATE AND DITED BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS WHO DID ALL THE WORK OFF THEIR OWN BACK,” HE SAID.“SOME OF THE PEOPLE TERVIEWED SAID THEY GREW UP WH AFL ... BUT THEY DIDN’T REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY ULD BE PART OF AND CLUD.”“THE AFL SUPPORTER GROUPS REALISE THAT AND THAT THEY N PROVI A WAY TO FEEL NNECTED TO THE CLUB A WAY THAT MEANS SOMETHG TO THEM.”READ MOREAFL PLAYERS TAKE A KNEE SUPPORT OF BLACK LIV MATTER MOVEMENTPREV REARCH HAS SHOWN AFL ENVIRONMENTS HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN AS LGBTQI+ IENDLY AS THEY ULD BE.A VICHEALTH REPORT ON LGBTQI+ CLN THE AFL 2017 SHOWED THAT HALF OF LGBTQI+ RPONNTS DID NOT VIEW GENERAL AFL MATCH AS A SAFE OR WELG ENVIRONMENT.A 2015 STUDY FOUND 80 PER CENT OF ATRALIANS VOLVED SPORT HAVE WNSED HOMOPHOBIA, WHICH LED TO THE CREATN OF THE PRI SPORT INX, AN STMENT SPECIFILLY SIGNED TO ASSS LGBTQI+ CLN ATRALIAN SPORT.FANS, CLUBS AND SPORTS LEAGU OF ALL PERSUASNS BENEF OM HAVG AN CLIVE ENVIRONMENT, DR STORR SAID.“WHEN SPORTS ANISATNS ENGAGE LGBTQI+ DIVERSY, N ATTRACT NEW FANS, BRG PEOPLE TO THE SPORT,” HE SAID.“THEY’LL POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, MAYBE GO TO THE PRI GAM. IT BENEFS EVERYBODY BEE THE SPORT IS GETTG NEW FANS AND CREASED REVENUE.”CORONAVIS IMPACTPRR TO THE START OF THE 2020 SEASON AND THE RONAVIS SHUTDOWN, THE PURPLE BOMBERS HAD MORE THAN 100 MEMBERS SIGNED UP AND A RAFT OF EVENTS PLANNED FOR THE YEAR.MR CONIGL SAID WHILE THE VIS “PRETTY MUCH STALLED” MOST OF WHAT WAS PLANNED - CLUDG A LARGE -PERSON INTERNATNAL DAY AGAST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND BIPHOBIA CELEBRATN - THE PURPLE BOMBERS HAVE BEEN RALLYG TOGETHER ONLE.“WE ME UP WH SOME FANTASTIC IAS THAT I KNOW WE WOULDN’T HAVE EVEN NSIRED A NON-COVID ENVIRONMENT. IT’S PROBABLY STRENGTHENED OUR MMENT TO MUNY ENGAGEMENT AS OUR NUMBER PRRY MOVG FORWARD,” HE SAID.“WE ARE CURRENTLY ROLLG OUT OUR ONLE WATCH PARTI FOR THE FIRST FEW ROUNDS WHERE MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS N WATCH THE GAME TOGETHER WHILST NNECTED TO ZOOM TO CELEBRATE THE GAME AND DISCS TACTICS.”MR CONIGL SAID HE AND OTHER MEMBERS HAVE HELPED EACH OTHER GET THROUGH THE PANMIC.“WE HAVE HAD REGULAR MEETGS AND REGULAR TCH-UPS TO KEEP OUR NNECTN AND MOMENTUM DURG THE PANMIC - WAS GREAT TO HAVE THE MTEE NNECTNS AS SOMETHG TO LOOK FORWARD TO.”RABOW CROWS MEMBERS GATHERED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME MONTHS TO WATCH A MATCH AN ALAI PUB A FEW WEEKENDS AGO SOURCE: SUPPLIEDMR MCALONEY SAID MANY OF THE RABOW CROWS’ SCHLED ACTIVI, CLUDG A MEET-UP WH THE PURPLE BOMBERS FOR A GAME MELBOURNE, HAVE ALSO BEEN UNABLE TO PROCEED.BUT LIKE THE BOMBERS’ PRI GROUP, CROWS MEMBERS HAVE BEEN FDG WAYS TO KEEP NTACT.“WE HAVE ALSO HELD A FEW ONLE 'WATCH PARTI' WHEN OLD CROWS GAM WERE BEG PLAYED ON TV SO PEOPLE ULD TCH UP, AND A GROUP OF MEMBERS WENT MPG ON THE JUNE LONG WEEKEND WHEN SOUTH ATRALIA’S TRAVEL RTRICTNS WERE LIFTED.”“WE HELD A DNER AT A PUB A FEW WEEKS AGO, WHICH WE BOOKED OUT THE DG ROOM TO KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCG BUT WATCH THE GAME TOGETHER AND TCH UP FOR THE FIRST TIME MONTHS. WE ARE EXCED TO HAVE FOOTY BACK ON!”INCLIVY THE WOMEN'S GAMEMR CONIGL SAID “THERE'S A LOT OF WORK” TO BE DONE BEFORE THE AFL ULD MATCH THE LGBTQI+ ACCEPTANCE THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE, THE AFLW. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPENLY-GAY PLAYERS, CLUDG A UPLE, THE  AFLW, AND EARLIER THIS YEAR SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE LED A STREET MELBOURNE'S WT TO WATCH A PRI MARCH THE LEAD UP TO A MATCH BETWEEN THE WTERN BULLDOGS AND THE CARLTON BLU.“IF YOU LOOK AT THE AFLW, THEY ARE DOG SOME GREAT THGS THE QUEER SPACE. BUT I THK WE ARE NOT MOVG FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS WE ULD BE THE MEN’S GAME,” MR CONIGL SAID.PLAYERS N THROUGH THE PRI BANNER DURG THE ROUND 3, 2020 AFLW MATCH BETWEEN THE WTERN BULLDOGS AND CARLTON. SOURCE: AAPTHE AFL DID NOT RPOND TO A REQUT FOR MENT OM SBS NEWS. IN 2017, THE AFL WAS NAMED THE GURAL ORGANISATN OF THE YEAR AT THE PRI SPORT AWARDS, A YEAR AFTER HELD THE VERY FIRST ‘PRI GAME’ BETWEEN THE ST KILDA SATS AND SYDNEY SWANS.WH THE MATCH NOW AN ANNUAL FIXTURE, THERE HAVE BEEN LLS FOR A PRI ROUND, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNHEED.“I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE A LTLE B FUNNY ABOUT THAT AND SAY ‘WHY BRG POLICS TO FOOTBALL?' BUT MAKG SURE AN ENVIRONMENT IS CLIVE, IENDLY AND ACCEPTG OF EVERYONE - HOW IS THAT A POLIL THG?” MR MCALONEY SAID. MR MCALONEY SAID PRI GROUPS WILL PROVI SUPPORT FOR FUTURE GENERATNS OF YOUNG LGBTQI+ AFL FANS ATRALIA.“IT CERTALY TOOK QUE A NUMBER OF YEARS TO E TO AN ACCEPTANCE OF WHO I WAS."“I DON’T WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I FELT AND EXPERIENCED.”LGBTIQ+ ATRALIANS SEEKG SUPPORT N NTACT QLIFE ON 1800 184 527 OR VIS ALSO HAS A LIST OF SUPPORT SERVIC.SHARE8 M READPUBLISHED 16 JULY 2020 2:49PMUPDATED 23 FEBARY 2022 3:41PMBY EVAN YOUNGTAGSSPORTLIFESOCIAL DIVERSYSOCIAL ISSUNEW SOUTH WALSYDNEYSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU

It might not be a scriptor the St Kilda fenr ever expected, but, acrdg to Jason Ball (Atralian Football's first openly gay male player), the scriptn is que, a 28-year-old centre half-back for Victorian untry club Yarra Glen, explaed how highly Gilbert is thought of by the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, tersex and qutng (LGBTIQ) muny.

"It sent a msage to other people the sportg world that sayg no to homophobia don't make you ls of a man. "I me to unrstand a lot of the homophobic language and behavur wasn't g om a place of hatred towards me or gay people, but rather jt ignorance and not knowg the impact on me, " Ball said.

'I'VE HAD TO MASK MY FEELGS': A-LEAGUE PLAYER OUT AS GAY EMOTNAL SOCIAL POSTS

"(They weren't) necsarily directed at me, but every time I would hear those words, felt like a remr if they found out I was gay, I wouldn't be accepted.

"Acrdg to the study Out On The Fields, which documented the experienc of gay, lbian and bisexual people team sports, 87 per cent of young gay Atralians felt pelled to hi their sexualy some hid his sexualy om his football club for many years, but he had ma a promise to himself he would not lie about if ever knew tryg to fabrite tal about experienc wh women would get him ught was openly gay while studyg at Melbourne Universy, so when an old school iend me to the football club, Ball's sexualy soon beme an open secret, although he remaed unaware others night after trag, while talkg to a teammate, the nversatn shifted and Ball was asked about his personal life. He was able to proudly intify as a gay cisn to e out publicly was supported by Yarra Glen, which ntu to back Ball his 's experienc have shown him people are pable of change.

“I KNOW 10 OR 12 GAY AFL PLAYERS” REVEALS JACK VIDGEN ON I’M A CELEB…

"Gilbert believ the AFL is ready for s first openly gay player, but only when a person feels fortable enough to go down that path. “If an umpire or opposn player do somethg a supporter don’t like, they may choose to e homophobic language an environment where there may be gay or lbian people prent.

A 2015 study found 80 per cent of Atralians volved sport have wnsed homophobia, which led to the creatn of The Pri Sport Inx, an stment specifilly signed to asss LGBTQI+ cln Atralian, clubs and sports leagu of all persuasns benef om havg an clive environment, Dr Storr said.

”Coronavis impactPrr to the start of the 2020 season and the ronavis shutdown, the Purple Bombers had more than 100 members signed up and a raft of events planned for the Conigl said while the vis “pretty much stalled” most of what was planned - cludg a large -person Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia celebratn - the Purple Bombers have been rallyg together onle.

‘WOULD BE WORTH ALL THAT PRSURE?’: WHY THERE ARE NO OUT GAY MEN PLAYG AFL

There are several openly-gay players, cludg a uple, the AFLW, and earlier this year several hundred people led a street Melbourne's wt to watch a pri march the lead up to a match between the Wtern Bulldogs and the Carlton Blu. Alai Uned midfielr Josh Cavallo hop more profsnal footballers will follow his lead and publicly announce that they’re gay.

‘I HAVE BEEN FIGHTG MY SEXUALY’: A-LEAGUE MEN PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO OUT AS GAY

“It’s astonishg to know that there are currently no gay profsnal footballers who are out and actively playg, not only Atralia, but around the world. “Beg a closeted gay footballer, I’ve had to learn to mask my feelgs orr to f the mould of a profsnal footballer. Jack Vidgen, one of the stars on Atralia’s I’m A Celebry… Get Me Out Of Here!, has revealed that he knows 10 or 12 gay Atralian Football League players, reports.

Vidgen, who ma a name for himself on Atralia’s Got Talent, was talkg about homosexualy sport wh former AFL stars Travis Vare and Robert “Dipper” DiPerdomeni.

‘I N UNRSTAND’: GAY PLAYERS THE AFL ‘CHOOSG NOT TO BE FIRST’ OUT PUBLICLY SAYS GILL MCLACHLAN

“I probably know about 10 or 12 footy players, I’d never say their name, that are gay but they wouldn’t e out, ” Vidgen said. Commentators were quick to pot out that Phillips kissg her wife the spotlight is proof that the footy world has “grown up” boss Gillon McLachlan has said that the visibily of gay players the women’s league has helped to further normalise same-sex while the footballers should be appld for beg out and proud, is hard to image two male players beg celebrated the same remas an unfortable tth that the hyper-mascule world of Atralian Rul football, the sight of women kissg is still more palatable to many men than their male hero dog the some s is a e for a lumn on Wednday, The Herald Sun’s chief football wrer Mark Robson wrote about Phillips and the notg that “enpsulated happs, love, appreciatn, unrstandg and, let’s be hont, was probably a touch sensual for a number of men. ”The outdated notn that gay women exist to fuel straight men’s puerile schoolboy fantasi is a big part of the problem, and speaks to the agile masculy that helps keep many gay men the Robson’s piece was well-meang and ma a strong se for marriage equaly, was unrmed by the objectifitn of the very people he sought to a lbian iend of me wrote on Facebook, “I’ve spent much of my life beg nsc of some blok dog a double take whenever I’ve held my partner’s hand public – let alone shared a quick kiss – and jt when you thk that we’re fally ed to the normaly of such thgs, you read this.

It mt pay more than jt lip service to the notn of is a sad dictment on the game that not a sgle male ele footballer has felt fortable g out the game’s 121-year remas a perceptn that the AFL environment is not safe for a gay man to openly be, a showed that 85% of gay athlet have seen or experienced homophobic abe. Phillips and the other gay AFLW players have this season ma history and paved a path for a male footballer to e out. Collgwood’s Penny Cula-Reid and Melbourne player Mia-Rae Clifford should also be appld for beg the first ele AFL uple to e out as when to acceptance of displays of love and affectn seems there is a different standard for out male Michael Sam kissed his boyiend after he was selected the NFL draft – beg the first openly gay player to do so – the AFL Footy Show’s host Sam Newman scribed as “It, the first openly gay Asie Rul player at any level of the game, to note that this was an example of gay people only beg accepted “jt as long as they don’t do anythg ‘gay’ public.

Football has e a long way promotg acceptance and pavg the way for a male player to take that ultimate year’s gural between St Kilda and Sydney sent a powerful msage of cln to gay supporters and players rabow 50 metre l were more than symbolic. If the Tom Morris tap ed women the football media to wonr, aga, what men were sayg about them behd their backs, the laddish tone and homophobic language ed the rerdgs also raised the qutn: how tolerant is the AFL dtry, really, of LGBTQI people?

WHY IS AFL THE ONLY PRO SPORT TO NEVER HAVE AN OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER?

There are gay men (not players) workg football who feel accepted by their lleagu, but none wanted to speak to The Age and Sydney Morng Herald about the issue for the same reasons they have not e out publicly: ’s not worth the hassle and, if they have a public profile, ’s not worth the backlash they might attract on social are no publicly out male AFL players at the Richard Giliberto When to players, says North Melbourne AFLW pta Emma Kearney, some clubs are more diverse and acceptg than others.

AS AN OPENLY GAY FOOTY PLAYER, I ULD ONLY DREAM OF THIS MOMENT: AFL’S PRI GAME IS HISTORIC

While the prence of women’s teams wh many openly gay players may have brought some cultural change, she says not every locker room would be a fortable place for a gay man. But I thk as a whole, particularly the AFL men’s space, I don’t thk there’s an environment where gay [male] players n be their te selv, ” said Kearney, who me out publicly last year. “Whether ’s fear of hate om the players, or more so fear of the discrimatn they’ll face beg one of the first gay athlet, and the hate on their social media acunts as a rult.