Football Australia is continuing in its ambition to become the most inclusive and welcoming sport for all Australians by partnering with Sydney WorldPride 2023.
Sydney WorldPride, the first WorldPride festival ever held in the Southern Hemisphere, commences today with the 17-day festival including over 300 free and ticketed events across Sydney.
The partnership builds on the initiatives in 2022 including participation in the Pride Cup and the Mardi Gras Parade for the first time.
Football Australia’s Head of Women’s Football, Women’s World Cup Legacy and Inclusion, Sarah Walsh said the partnership is another touchpoint for football to live its values of diversity and inclusion.
“We are committed as a sport to ensuring we create environments and spaces where all members of our family feel completely free to be their whole selves without fear,” Walsh said.
“Over the last year we have demonstrated that commitment through our work with the LGBTQIA+ communities, Harmony Day activities, the launch of the CommBank ParaMatildas and becoming one of the first sports to add its support to the Uluru Statement of the heart.”
“In 2023 we will continue our work of driving positive social change through sport and have recently hired a Diversity and Inclusion Manager to assist in reviewing and updating our policies and procedures.
“Through our partnership with Sydney WorldPride and Pride in Sport, we are striving to confront and address behaviours that make LGBTQIA+ members of our football family feel less safe, equal and welcome. We aim to combat homophobia by increasing awareness of these behaviours and fostering acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in football.”
To celebrate the commencement of Sydney WorldPride, this Sunday’s (19 February) Cup of Nations match between the CommBank Matildas and Spain at CommBank Stadium, there will be a pride theme integration throughout an Australian international match for the first time.
Sydney WorldPride’s Chief Executive Officer Kate Wickett said: “It is a huge privilege to be partnering with Football Australia and to see such commitment to diversity from one of Australia’s major sporting bodies.
“Sport is a huge part of Australian culture but too often members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel unwelcome or unsafe to participate in sport. That’s why it is so great to see Football Australia leading the way by championing and celebrating diversity in such a powerful way.”
Football Australia will also continue engaging with Pride in Sport to provide refresher educational and training programs for its workforce and football stakeholders.
Pride in Sport National Program Manager, Beau Newell, said: “As a founding member of Pride in Sport, Football Australia has continuously worked with our team to build their capacity and understanding of LGBTQ inclusion in football.”
“Given the sheer number of people participating in football around the country, Football Australia has a unique position to influence change, and create safer and more inclusive environments for people with diverse genders and sexualities, both on and off the pitch.
“With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ being co-hosted by Australia, there is an amazing opportunity for Football organisations at all levels to follow the lead of Football Australia and engage with LGBTQ people to ensure the sport as a whole leads the way in embracing our communities and the ways that we can enrich and strengthen the game.”
