This AFLW Pride Round, Minus18 was proud to collaborate on incredible activations at five different matches, where clubs and sponsors showed up to make a powerful, visible statement of inclusion for LGBTQIA+ young people.

But why does this round matter so much?

For many, sport is a place of community and belonging. Yet, for LGBTQIA+ young people, this isn't always the case. Our new national Queer Youth Now report revealed a stark reality: 13% of LGBTQIA+ young people are out in sporting spaces.

This statistic is why Pride Round is more than just a gesture. It's a vital intervention. It's a chance for clubs to stand up and actively create safer spaces, showing queer youth they belong. This year, our supporters championed this message through powerful acts of visibility and education.

The Power of Visible Allyship

Visible allyship is a simple act with profound impact. In our Queer Youth Now survey, 86% of LGBTQIA+ young people said that seeing someone wear rainbow or ally accessories made them feel safer and more like they belonged.

Over Pride Round, we saw clubs and sponsors bring this statistic to life:

• North Melbourne Football Club
  North Melbourne hosted a landmark Pride Round, which drew in a record-breaking AFLW attendance record at Arden Street Oval of 3,282 fans. Rainbow ribbons were handed out, ensuring visibility and pride were everywhere.
• Collingwood Football Club
  Collingwood centred queer youth by having Minus18 Young Leaders participate in the Guard of Honour, Coin Toss, and Ball Carry. This powerful act of inclusion ensured queer young people were visible and celebrated.
• Carlton Football Club
  We loved joining the Guard of Honour, where the sense of allyship was clear as Mitch Brown and Lou Keck handed out handheld rainbow flags as we walked onto the pitch.
• Liberty Financial
  At their 'blend and bike' activation at Essendon’s home game at Windy Hill, the energy and enthusiasm was electric. Rainbow ribbons and smoothies were both in high demand, with over half the ribbons distributed by quarter time, sending a clear message of support through the crowd.

Strengthening Impact Through Education

Beyond visibility, a number of clubs committed to the deeper work of education.

At North Melbourne, an affirmation wall collected youth voices and shared the empowering messaging behind the round. This was supported by a half-time interview with Bec Herft, Minus18’s Partnerships Team Lead and the first AFL National Pride & Allies Committee Chair, whose heartfelt words on safe spaces for queer young people of colour in sport landed beautifully with the crowd. In the lead up to Pride Round, an education panel with Minus18 and Pride In Sport was incredibly well received by players and staff, focusing on active allyship, building safe spaces, and the experience of belonging in sports and in community.

At Hawthorn Football Club, Minus18 Young Leaders and staff wrote personal letters to the AFLW players, sharing the "why" behind the round and who they were playing for. The initiative was a huge success, with players reporting they absolutely loved the powerful and personal messages. Messages included:

As someone who grew up playing sport and who always felt like I had to be a different version of myself in those spaces, Pride Rounds give me so much hope and joy that young people have more opportunities to be more fully and truly their complex selves in sports and in other parts of their worlds.

When I was at school I played soccer. I loved it but I was shouldering a huge burden hiding my identity. I felt so alone. Since leaving school, not 1 not 2 but 6 !! people I played with have come out as LGBTQIA+. If we had seen Pride rounds maybe this would have made us feel safe enough to share ourselves, and realise that we were not alone, but right alongside each other.

Celebrating Long-Term Commitment

This work requires sustained effort, and we want to celebrate the long-term commitment of Carlton Football Club. This year marks their eighth year of support for our impact, a collaboration that has contributed almost $30,000 to our work since 2018. This unwavering support is a testament to the club's deep and genuine commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

Join the Movement

The impact across five home games - Carlton, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Essendon, and Hawthorn - is actively changing the story for LGBTQIA+ young people in sport. Together they are helping to build a future where every young person feels safe, celebrated, and welcome in the game they love.

Ready to champion LGBTQIA+ youth in your club? Let’s chat.