Joel Creasey opens up on gay players the AFL | Sportg News Atralia

Contents:

• ‘I N UNRSTAND’: GAY PLAYERS THE AFL ‘CHOOSG NOT TO BE FIRST’ OUT PUBLICLY SAYS GILL MCLACHLAN
• ‘I HAVE BEEN FIGHTG MY SEXUALY’: A-LEAGUE MEN PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO OUT AS GAY
• WHY IS AFL THE ONLY PRO SPORT TO NEVER HAVE AN OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER?
• ANDY BRENNAN IS FIRST MALE ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY
• ‘NO WORDS’: GAY ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO LLS OUT HOMOPHOBIC CROWD ABE
• WHICH AFL PLAYERS ARE GAY?
• OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYERS WOULD BE WELED THE AFL: SELWOOD
• 'I'VE HAD TO MASK MY FEELGS': A-LEAGUE PLAYER OUT AS GAY EMOTNAL SOCIAL POSTS
• JOEL CREASEY OPENS UP ON GAY PLAYERS THE AFL
• THE AFL’S GROWG PROBLEM WH VISIBILY OF GAY PLAYERS
• 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 LKSHARETOPICS

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

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan says he n unrstand why gay players the men’s petn wouldn’t want to e out due to the “prsure and weight” of beg the first to do so. No current AFL men’s players have publicly e out as gay, whereas the AFLW has numero players who’re openly gay. Start your ee trial now >“The first thg I’d say is, I am very fortable there are gay male players and I am very fortable ( sayg) they are known to their teammat, ” McLachlan said on Monday.

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

“So the prsure and the weight on that person beg the first AFL player who out and plays as an out gay man... And those wh flawsListen below or subscribe Apple Podsts or SpotifyThe AFL remas one of the only sportg s Atralia whout an openly gay player. A-League Men midfielr Josh Cavallo says he knows there are other players “livg silence” after beg the only known current male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to e out as gay.

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

Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. “Beg a gay closeted footballer, I’ve had to learn to mask my feelgs orr to f the mould of a profsnal footballer.

Growg up beg gay and playg football were jt two worlds that hadn’t crossed paths before. Labor senate lear and openly gay woman, Penny Wong, tweeted: “Any young person who is stgglg wh their inty, or feelg exclud or judged, n look today to Josh Cavallo. ”Globally there are only a handful of openly gay male footballers, none of whom are playg the top flight.

Amerin former Leeds player Robbie Rogers also announced he was gay on retirg 2013, before returng to the field wh LA Galaxy and wng the MLS Cup to bee the first openly gay male athlete to w a major profsnal team sports tle the Uned 2019, former Newstle Jets player Andy Brennan beme Atralia’s first profsnal male footballer to e out while still playg the game. “It is astonishg to know that there are currently no gay profsnal footballers who are out and actively playg, not only Atralia, but around the world. 30pmFew people realise the men’s AFL is the only major profsnal male sport the world to never have had an openly gay or bisexual player, even after is why the cisn by the NFL’s Carl Nassib to e out as gay this week while still playg Amerin football ph Atralian football further off the crowd field of cln.

ANDY BRENNAN IS FIRST MALE ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY

Nassib may be the first active NFL player to e out, but he’s actually the 16th gay NFL player sce 1975 – that’s close to the same number of players on an AFL Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib me out this APThe total visibily of gay or bisexual AFL players be even more ncerng when you nsir the multiple gay and bisexual players basketball, ice hockey, baseball, gby unn, gby league, cricket, soccer, and smaller sports like curlg, hurlg and lacrosse. I have studied homophobia sport for the past , cludg studi the AFL and 42 other sports at Monash Universy.

Why has one of the world’s olst sports never had an openly gay player? However, ’s important to first rrect the mis-perceptn that homophobia is ls of a problem bee is assumed most players are gay. It also ters many girls, both straight and gay, om playg ntact sports like AFL or rearch has found between 15-20 per cent of female AFL players are not heterosexual.

Visibily is clearly important, particularly to children, but the visibily of male AFL players is a symptom of ser a problem that has long been ignored by the AFL and other erng is extensive evince om Atralia and overseas that gay and bisexual children, as well as heterosexual youth, are beg harmed by systemic homophobic behavurs muny and school sport settgs. Gay and bisexual boys play sport at half the rate of their peers.

‘NO WORDS’: GAY ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO LLS OUT HOMOPHOBIC CROWD ABE

Dpe this evince, I often hear sport lears and ernment officials say “thgs are a lot better for gay people sport the days.

We expected that those who me out would report much ls homophobic behavur (bullyg, asslts, slurs, etc.

WHICH AFL PLAYERS ARE GAY?

That’s not what we boys and girls who me out to others sport were signifintly more likely to report homophobic victimisatn than those who remaed the closet. Most (82 per cent) gay and bisexual boys also said they tried to hi their sexualy om teammat. LoadgBeyond Blue has found experienc of homophobic discrimatn sport is associated wh clil anxiety and prsn, risk factors for suici.

OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYERS WOULD BE WELED THE AFL: SELWOOD

Homophobic behavur youth sport is an issue of child protectn. This is why there are no openly gay or bisexual male AFL do we fix this problem? Ian Roberts, Atralia’s first openly gay athlete, has been llg on sport and ernment lears to protect young people om homophobic abe sce 1997.

They signed a mment to be “world lears” “creatg clive sportg cultur and elimatg homophobia our sports. This rearch found most activy to addrs this problem is beg driven by small chari, such as Pri Cup or Proud2Play, or muny sport clubs, while the mments ma by the lears of the AFL and the other sports have not been players om the Yarra Glen Football Club take part rearch nducted to better unrstand the drivers and harm ed by homophobic language sport. The club has been at the foreont of tacklg Monash UniversyOne of those papers, published the world’s top sport dtry journal, said erng bodi e rabow-themed social media posts and pri gam to create a false illn (ln) they are takg actn on homophobia, when realy, almost nothg is beg done beyond “lip service or happy talk.

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

”Our own rearch has found the AFL has done ls on the issue of homophobia than any other major sport Atralia, or globally. Scientists have also found the Atralian Sports Commissn has turned a bld eye to homophobic abe sport. Olympic legend Ian Thorpe mpaigned Febary 2020 on the Relig Discrimatn Alex EllghsenThere is no mentn of LGBT people nor of any fundg to addrs homophobia sport.

JOEL CREASEY OPENS UP ON GAY PLAYERS THE AFL

The omissn of LGBT people needs to be urgently fixed and an vtigatn is need to terme why homophobia sport is nsistently ernments and sport lears start prrisg protectg children om harmful homophobic behavurs sport, we’ll be talkg about the lack of openly gay male athlet the AFL and other sports for many years to Denison is a behavural science rearcher at Monash Universy’s School of Social Scienc who vtigat solutns to homophobia sport. Josh Cavallo, who last year beme the only openly gay profsnal top flight men’s footballer the world, says he has “no words” to scribe his disappotment at beg targeted by homophobic abe durg an A-League Men game over the Alai Uned player me on as a send-half substute durg the Reds’ away game at Melbourne Victory on Saturday night and said afterwards that he had received abe om the crowd at AAMI 22-year-old received acclaim om across the globe October when he me out via Alai’s social media channels. “I’m not gog to pretend that I didn’t see or hear the homophobic abe at the game last night, ” Cavallo wrote on Instagram on Sunday.

”Cavallo also said he was targeted after the game on Instagram and ed his own post to ll out the social media platform for the way als wh homophobic abe.

THE AFL’S GROWG PROBLEM WH VISIBILY OF GAY PLAYERS

”The Atralian Profsnal Leagu said was “shocked and sadned” to hear of the reports of the “homophobic bullyg”. There are so many different typ of sexual orientatn om heterosexual through to asexual, homosexual, bisexual and more.

2% of the adult populatn Atralia intified as homosexual or bisexual. While beg the face of a gay movement might sound good theory, when ’s your face and private life splashed through the media, ’s a lot to take . A gay AFL player might prefer to stay out of the spotlight to avoid placg their reer the media’s hand.

In 2019, the fullback ma an anti-gay ment on social media (not for the first time), statg that gays will go to hell. While Rugby Atralia acted the right manner and termated his posn, shows we have a long way to e before beg gay is accepted.

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 LKSHARETOPICS

If beg gay don’t affect their performance (which clearly don’t), then why is somethg they should have to brg up the first place? While would be nice to live a world where people don’t bat an eyelid about beg gay, we’re not que there yet. While we have e a long way when to LGBT rights, we still have a long way to go towards equaly and breakg down barriers and there’s no way of predictg the effect of g out gay.