St Kilda Football Club took on Sydney Swans in the inaugural AFL Pride Game at Etihad Stadium Saturday Aug. 13
With over 33,000 supporters in attendance, St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis said that the Round 21 clash, believed to be the first Pride Game for a professional sporting competition in the world, comfortably eclipsed the club’s expectations.
“I think that the public support we received from within the football community, but perhaps more importantly, from outside meant that it exceeded our expectations,” Finnis said.
“The fact that literally thousands of people attended the footy for the first time on Saturday night is incredibly important and we’re thrilled that they felt welcomed to do so. We hope that the sense of belonging that our members feel is something they can start to feel as well.
“I’m really proud of the way St Kilda supporters embraced the game. To see the combination of red, white and black with the rainbow within the crowd, it just seemed a natural fit. So the way in which our supporters embraced it was terrific.
Born from the grass-roots 2014 Community Pride Cup initiated by Yarra Glen Football Netball Club and LGBTIQ advocate Jason Ball, St Kilda are committed to the game because ‘pride’ is the opposite of ‘shame’ and the club firmly believes that communities can only thrive when all people belong.
With research indicating that 87 per cent of young gay Australians playing sport feel forced to hide their sexuality1 and up to 14 times higher rates of suicide attempts in the same-sex attracted community within Australia2, Finnis believes that the game has been an opportunity for St Kilda Football Club and AFL to raise awareness of the issue.
“We want the LGBTIQ community to feel welcome and safe at AFL games and free to be themselves – this goes to the heart of our club’s How I Want To Be spirit,” Finnis said.
“We also know that suicide rates in the LGBTIQ community are significantly higher than the wider community – that is a horrible fact and we want to do our part to help address that.”
In the lead up to last weekend, personal tales from St Kilda legend Nicky Winmar and his son Tynan (see story here), from former Saints and Hawthorn great Russell Greene and from LGBTIQ advocate Jason Ball, helped to provide the public with an understanding of the impact of homophobia in sport.
Through the use of storytelling, Finnis believes the Pride Game has prised opened conversation channels between families and friends, which previously may have had barriers impeding them.
“I think one of the achievements of Saturday night is we’ve started a conversation that only gets easier for others to participate in by virtue of the game. That’s something that we’re all really proud of,” Finnis said.
In a show of support for the LGBTIQ community at the game, St Kilda players wore rainbow patterned numbers on their guernsey and Sydney players wore rainbow socks.
The 50m arc, match-day ball and goal umpire flags were also branded with the rainbow colors or logo and supporters were able to purchase a rainbow St Kilda Pride Game scarf or beanie.
Match-worn St Kilda guernseys will be auctioned post-game with all proceeds donated to the Gay and Lesbian Foundation Australia (GALFA). The GALFA provides funds for charitable activities and organizations who work to the good and betterment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and allied communities in Australia.
