The A-Leagues will introduce a pride round in the men’s and women’s competitions this month in a move CEO Danny Townsend called ambitious and considered.
A-League clubs across the country will join pride celebrations from February 24-26 to coincide with Sydney WorldPride, although wearing a pride jersey has been made optional for teams in an attempt to avoid a controversy like the jersey boycott at the Manly Sea Eagles last year.
Kayla Morrison, Isabel Hodgson and Josh Brillante promoting pride round at AAMI Park.Credit:Getty
The weekend’s showpiece event will be a double-header between the Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United men’s and women’s teams. The clubs played in the inaugural Pride Cup last year, and opted to wear pride jerseys in 2023.
“We didn’t just dive into it without consultation,” Townsend said. “Equally, learning from some of the other codes that may not have executed [pride rounds] in the way they would have hoped, and we felt that education was a key pillar of our program.”
Townsend said every A-League club had undergone 24 training sessions in the past four months to educate players and staff about LGBTQ issues and inclusivity in sport.
A pride round had been on the organisation’s radar for a while, he said, despite pushback in other sports. The Cairns Taipans recently decided not to wear pride-themed uniforms in the National Basketball League.
Adelaide United defender Josh Cavallo at the Australian Open’s pride day last month.Credit:Fiona Hamilton / Tennis Australia
But following vitriol and death threats targeting players such as Josh Cavallo, Australia’s only openly gay professional men’s football player, Townsend said the league wanted to show its support of the wider community.
“It’s not only about one individual,” he said. “Obviously, Josh was very brave in his actions when he came out, and we are supportive of Josh but [also] of all individuals, whether they be fans of the game. We want them to come to an experience where they feel comfortable to be who they are.”
Pride Cup CEO James Lolicato.Credit:Getty
Pride Cup CEO James Lolicato said the initiative made football more inclusive for LGBTI players and spectators, and money raised from the round would go towards educating communities and clubs.
“Seventy-five per cent of LGBTI+ people believe an openly gay spectator would not be very safe attending a sporting event,” Lolicato said. “We want that statistic to change and ensure all LGBTI+ people have access to a safe and inclusive sporting environment.
“So far, our work with sporting clubs has been significant in reducing homophobic language and increasing understanding of the LGBTI+ community, which then ripples to the wider community.”
Townsend said the pride round was a step in the right direction, but the league, clubs and players still had plenty to learn.
“I don’t think there’s an end goal,” he said. “I think these types of things are always interesting processes where you learn more and more as you go along and you adapt to the changes in society.
“I wouldn’t suggest you get to a stage where you finish the process. I think processes become easier because the inclusiveness becomes more broad and the acceptance becomes wider. And that’s our goal, to continue to improve.”
Watch every match of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League on Stan Sport. Returns for the Round of 16 in February 2023, with all matches streaming ad-free, live and on demand.
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