The first AFL match dedicated to the LGBTI community was held at Etihad Stadium on 13 August 2016. GALFA was very pleased to have been selected as the funding partner by the St Kilda Football Club. A raffle at the pre-match dinner raised $1,106, and the post-match sale of the rainbow footy guernseys raised another $10,000. This money will go to GALFAs disability funding priority area.
This was a cultural change event, with a huge amount of work done by both clubs in the weeks before the match to develop positive attitudes towards LGBTI people within player and staff groups.
Jason Ball recently said that many LGBTI people reported attending the match – either being their first ever AFL match or the first for many years, and feeling comfortable to be themselves.
