AusLeisure

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) is to launch the first ever A-League Pride Celebration to coincide with Mardi Gras and 2023 Sydney World Pride, with the initiative set to take place across the last weekend of this month (24th to 26th February) in Australia and the following weekend (4th March) in New Zealand for Wellington Phoenix home games.

Signifying football’s ongoing commitment to making the game accessible and inclusive for everyone,

the initiative is looking to build on the success of last season's Pride games hosted by Adelaide United, which saw a number of displays including rainbow armbands, jersey numbers, corner flags, banners and a rainbow seating pattern at Coopers Stadium.

While individual clubs such as Melbourne Victory, Canberra United and Sydney FC , along with Adelaide United, have conducted smaller ride initiatives in the past, this is the first time the league will host a competition-wide event that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community.

A player-driven, opt-in initiative, the suite of games are called a ‘celebration’ rather than a ‘round’ on the basis that, while there is still much to be improved, the behind-the-scenes work already done deserves recognition.

That includes education programs for club executives, staff and players, a trial of a new stadium safety and inclusion program with the Melbourne Olympic Parks Trust (MOPT) which is now being rolled out nationally, and the introduction of GoBubble technology to help silence online hate for clubs, players and fans.

As such, it is likely to avoid controversies that have affected other sporting codes’ ‘pride rounds’ where players have chosen to opt out.

Advising that the Pride Celebration is another example of efforts to show that football is the most welcoming and inclusive sport, A-Leagues Chief Executive, Danny Townsend commented “we began this journey with Pride Cup in 2021 and since then we have worked together to implement change for the better.

“Whilst we’re not at our end goal yet, we’re proud of the strides we’ve made to make our sport more welcoming and inclusive for our fans, players and staff and wider communities.

“The Pride Celebration is grounded in education, training and an ambition for long-term impact. We’re getting the foundations right to make positive change. This is certainly a long-term project, but we’re committed to ensuring every person involved with our game feels safe and included

As part of the Pride Celebration, $1 from every ticket sold will also be donated to Pride Cup’s community fund to support community clubs and their own pride events, to help ensure all LGBTI+ people feel included, accepted, and proud to be who they are.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) Chief Executive, Kate Gill added “the Pride movement is close to many fans and players’ hearts and we’re extremely proud to be celebrating the diversity of our players and fans through a new Pride Celebration in 2023.

“We want to reduce discrimination, increase education, and improve everyone’s experience when playing our sport so they feel safe, included, and welcome.”

The Celebration's marquee fixture will be an A-League men’s and women’s double-header between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United, which will take place on Sunday 26th February at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.

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