Among all the frocks, make-up, leather, feathers, studs, and swimwear at the 2015 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will be something peculiar at the parade's centrepiece - footballers.

The main float at this year's event tackles one of the last remaining strongholds of homophobia in contemporary society - sport. Football will be joining forces with all major codes in a fight to stamp out discrimination by deploying ambassadors.

Rhyan Grant, Thea Slatyer, Sunni Hughes and Paul Reid will stand alongside the likes of Matthew Mitcham, Daniel Kowalski, Greg Matthews and Paul Langmack in showing their support for LGBT rights. It is the biggest show of such statement from football, but that could soon change.

Football Federation Australia is set to unveil an advisory group focusing on anti-homophobia and the organisation's Head of Community and Women's football, Emma Highwood, says the next stage will turn its attention towards the A-League which has the greatest reach to football's widest audience.

"The A-League is the best tool we have to raise awareness, so to have key messages and ambassadors addressing the key issues in the game and actually start to promote some positive messaging," Highwood said. "For us it's also about educating the community as well so having good education systems in place at grass roots level."

The harsh reality is that sport lags behind the rest of Australian culture in terms of the prevalence of homophobia. Based on a national study conducted last year involving 2500 participations, 85 per cent of gay or lesbian athletes of all levels experienced or witnessed homophobic abuse as well as three-quarters of heterosexual athletes.

Gay men are the most vulnerable, with one in four reporting ongoing cases of abuse, bullying and threats.

Women's football has a history of addressing homophobia, with Australian clubs having worn rainbow coloured socks to promote gender and sexual diversity in sport.

The game could soon become the first major code to have jerseys raising awareness for gay rights and anti-homophobia. A rainbow strip, or iconic mardi gras jerseys in the A-League as part of a public campaign, is regarded as the strongest message of equality football can send to the community.

"A jersey, I think, is a fantastic idea and the rainbow socks is something we've done in the W-League with Canberra United in the past. But we have to have a clear PR strategy around it because otherwise people will see those and not know the relevance," Highwood said.

As a message, it goes further than reactive punishments of abusers but shows unequivocal support. Sydney FC has been involved with the anti-homophobia campaigns such as the LGBT football competition, the Pride Cup, and was quick to have representation at this year's mardi gras. The club's chief executive, Tony Pignata, did not rule out extending their support to a one-off jersey bearing the rainbow flag for future seasons.

"I've never thought about it, to be honest, but it's something we could consider, definitely," Pignata said. "We will definitely support it [the mardi gras]. We were very supportive of the Pride football tournament."

A Western Sydney Wanderers' spokesman said the club were not asked to be involved but they supported the movement.

For those working with major codes in creating anti-homophobia programs, such symbolism and public recognition is viewed as the strongest statement sport could make.

"Jerseys would be a great idea," Bingham Cup president Andrew Purchas said. "Those symbols are really important and that's the difference from just making sure you're not vilifying somebody but actually going out and saying they will support them in their sport."

In 10 years of the A-League there has never been an openly gay player but that's not uncommon by global standards. In February 2013, Robbie Rogers became just the second male player in Britain to come out as gay with the pioneer, Justin Fashanu in 1990, suffering years of abuse before his tragic death.

Homophobic banners used as insults have been visible in past games and there's a poorly kept secret from the 2007-08 season of one player attacking a teammate in the dressing room because he was gay.

It's a culture that is not exclusive to football and trickles down to the grassroots levels of all sport, but it's a matter football is looking to change.

"People don't have to be out and we don't want to force that upon them, but we want to create an environment where they feel safe to do so if they choose," Highwood said.

If the Sydney mardi gras is an event that sets the standard for the world's fight to end homophobia, it's only fitting for Australian clubs to lead that battle within global football. No game in this country has a history of being more welcoming of "sheilas" and "wogs". Now is the time to extend that to one more demographic.

Xtra time?

Why?

It's about Australian football, and an Australian football team, getting behind a serious issue in not just in football, and sport alone, but society as a whole.


Edited by Heineken: 7/3/2015 05:12:21 AM

Rhyan Grant, Thea Slatyer, Sunni Hughes and Paul Reid will stand alongside the likes of Matthew Mitcham, Daniel Kowalski, Greg Matthews and Paul Langmack in showing their support for LGBT rights.

Homophobics, either park your hoola hoop at the front door, or just stay the fuck out of this thread entirely. Mods, please actively patrol this thread, and be ready to delete any homophobic comments.

Has a your briefed Seb Ryall??????

you see sir, it's this sort of aggressive militant gun loaded and ready to fire attitude that shits people up. by all means, support your homosexual causes but when you come across as preachy and you have your gun out ready to shoot at anyone with labels who may think differently or disagree with your position, that's when the intolerance weakens your very good causes. just a tip champ

Way to live up to your stereotype

Homophobics, either park your hoola hoop at the front door, or just stay the fuck out of this thread entirely. Mods, please actively patrol this thread, and be ready to delete any homophobic comments.

Excellent stuff. Good to see the many homosexuals in the cove accepted. A step in the right direction.

Excellent stuff. Good to see the many homosexuals in the cove accepted. A step in the right direction.

Being called gay either in the stands of on the field shouldn't be seen as an insult. It is a low act to turn someone's off field activities into an insult.

The Matilda's have just undergone a nasty sexiest and derogatory match in Cyrpus by the UK army. We wouldn't and we don't accept that why should the above be acceptable

It says more about you and T-Unit that you view this supposed stereotype as a negative thing.

Sydney FC- The only club for all of Sydney.

=d>