Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds are proud to strengthen our continued focus on inclusion and ensuring that everyone is welcome in our sport.
Netball Queensland has become a member of ACON Health’s Pride in Sport program to ensure the Queensland netball community can access services that are inclusive and respectful – employees, athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and spectators with diverse genders and sexualities.
This exciting new membership with Pride in Sport seeks to promote self-affirmation, dignity, equality and increase visibility of LGBTIQA+ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, queer, asexual and questioning) in the netball community.
Catherine Clark, Netball Queensland and Queensland Firebirds CEO, is excited about the opportunity that Pride in Sport will play when helping promote positive messages and examples around LGBTIQA+ inclusion for netball and, sport in general.
“Through our partnership, we aim to further our inclusive practices so that everyone feels welcome in our netball community”, Clark said.
“On an individual level, we know the increased visibility of the LGBTIQA+ community can serve as a reminder of worth, help minimise isolation and offer opportunities to connect through sport.”
“We live and breathe our values everyday of being brave and inclusive. We want to celebrate and encourage the diversity within our netball community and an opportunity to inspire all of our associations and clubs across Queensland to consider what they are doing to ensure that the LGBTIQA+ community feel welcome and supported every day.”
“You will learn a lot about yourself if you stretch in the direction of kindness, inclusivity and emotional bravery. Stand for equality.” Pride in Sport is Australia’s first and only sexuality and gender diverse sporting inclusion program for the Australian sporting sector.
Beau Newell, National Program Manager of Pride in Sport Australia, said actual and perceived social exclusion is a leading cause of preventable death in Australia, and creating a much healthier and safer sporting culture for LGBTIQA+ people has never been more important.
“By joining Pride in Sport and working with ACON, Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds are showing the community that they care about the health and wellbeing of their athletes, and members across Queensland”, Newell said.
“Congratulations to Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds for leading the way in changing Australia’s sporting culture, to be more inclusive.”
As our journey begins to give Pride a place in sport, our history-making Pride Match was originally scheduled to take place at Nissan Arena on Saturday July 17.
Due to the COVID-19 impacts, the exact date and details of this round have been unsettled.
However, the Queensland Firebirds have today confirmed they will celebrate their commitment to Pride in Sport by hosting a Pride themed match against Collingwood for their final match of the season.
For more information about the upcoming season games, including how you can become a member of the purple family, visit firebirds.net.au
As part of our Pride Match, a supporter shirt is also available for pre-order with Netball Queensland donating all of its profits to Pride in Sport.
Pride Round supporter shirts can be ordered here: https://firebirds.gameclothing.com.au
