THIS weekend is the AFLW’s Pride Round, which sees a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community in the AFLW.

Many of the AFLW players have come out this week and spoke of the significance of the round to them, but one group seemingly forgotten about is the fans themselves.

The AFLW’s Pride Round is a very important fixture landmark to the league’s LGBTQIA+ fans. It removes the shame and social stigma of them being themselves. Bulldogs fan Conor Borchard-Burns said it was vital for those fans to feel included.

“It’s a very tangible display of love and pride for me and my community from a game that has not historically welcomed us,” she said.

“It’s more than simply seeing the grounds and the players decked out in rainbow – the fact that we have an entire round to acknowledge and celebrate the queer players and supporters that love footy means that I know this is a space where I can be my whole self, and that self is celebrated.”

Collingwood fan Andy Pullar described it as “a celebration of not having anything to hide anymore.”

Melbourne fan Angus Gordon echoed those sentiments. He said that the round is about “opening up football, opening it up to be inclusive of everyone, and the AFLW showing leadership to the rest of the league.”

Many LGBTQIA+ fans have had vastly different experiences attending AFLW games as opposed to attending AFLM games.

Although the men’s competition has evolved over the last 25 years, Bulldogs fan Mish Sheppard said there is still much work to be done.

“(It’s) still very old school, there’s a lot of negative attitudes towards LGBT, a lot of misunderstanding is what it is,” Sheppard said.

Pullar noted that “being queer at a men’s footy game still has an element of fear.”

“There is always that survival instinct in the back of my mind looking out for homophobic or transphobic behaviour to protect myself and the one’s I love, because the likelihood of being targeted when surrounded by rowdy alcohol-fuelled men feels high,” he said.

The AFLW however, is a vastly different experience for them.

Founder and host of Chicks Talkin Footy and Hawks fan Fiona Newton said that the women’s league had lead from the front when it came to progression and acceptance of diversity.

“Women have really lead the way in a way that I think the men are now envying, that we are able to be ourselves, celebrate our community and we are just be so much more progressive then I think the men’s league is at this stage,” Newton said.

Borchard-Burns noted that at the AFLW “there is much more of an emphasis on loving footy and having a positive welcoming experience at games.”

The fans love the fact that it is now a whole round as opposed to just a single Pride Game, and they see it as really important. Borchard-Burns said that clubs across the league were able to “have conversations with their fans and within their culture”.

“It also means fans of other clubs finally get a chance to see themselves represented! I love that Pride Round means that once a year, every game will be focused on the issues and the challenges that queer people face, and how the league as a whole, not simply the Bulldogs and Carlton, can make positive and meaningful change,” Borchard-Burns said.

This weekend will see 13 of the 14 clubs don a specifically designed Pride Jumper in their respective matches. The only team that is without a Pride Jumper is West Coast, who had specifically designed Pride training jumpers but not actual playing jumpers.

While some fans are diplomatic about it and understand the pressure the club is under, particularly in the current Covid era, many of the fans were frustrated and disappointed by the decision.

Newton noted how the decision “stands out” and is “such a contrast” to the rest of the competition, and how the Eagles really “didn’t read the room”.

Borchard-Burns echoed Newton’s sentiments and the thoughts of many other fans.

“I am really disappointed that West Coast don’t have a Pride jumper this year, especially as they will be the only team not to have one. “I was also disappointed last year when there were clubs that chose not to design a pride jumper – because it is a choice,” she said.

“I understand that there are economic circumstances at play, but we have seen time and time again that when there’s a money crunch, priorities become very clear – queer people and people of colour are always the first things to be discarded.

“In order for Pride Round to have the effect of unity and solidarity that the league clearly is aiming for, this means every club needs to be on board. “The guernsey isn’t simply a symbolic piece of merchandise. “Symbols are powerful, and when there’s only one club who will not be displaying that symbol – well, you have to wonder what message that’s sending to their fans.”

The fans also recognised how important Pride Round is for Australia and the football community. It is an important tool because the AFL has an enormous impact on society in this country. Pullar put it best.

“I think the visibility it gives the queer players is the most important part of it. It’s an opportunity to share Happy Queer Stories, moving away from the tenancy to only associate being queer with the pain of being an outcast,” Pullar said.

“That has the dual effect for straight and queer audiences. “It broadens the perspective of straight people to understand that queer people are everywhere, that they don’t have the ability to recognise queer people based on who “looks gay”, and that queer people live their best life and reach their potential when they can live openly and unafraid.

“For queer audiences, we get to experience the positivity and connection of relating to these superstars, and seeing our lives and stories reflected on a national scale. “Especially this year, with Tori Groves-Little and Darcy Vescio having come out as non-binary, seeing gender queer people in the spotlight, doing their thing confidently and honestly, it brings me so much joy.”