Pride celebrations must be engaged with but not simply to make a sport look progressive

‘Sports can become so fixated with their pursuit towards inclusion – adding rainbow banners to social media posts and logos – they simultaneously fail to address the very reasons why LGBTIQ+ people do not feel included in the first place.’ Photograph: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

From the Australian Open and its inaugural Pride day and the AFLW’s recent Pride round to this week’s announcement that Adelaide United will be hosting an A-League Men Pride game, the celebration and promotion of LGBTIQ+ inclusion has gathered momentum of late.

Add to that the increased visibility of LGBTIQ+ athletes, including the footballer Josh Cavallo and non-binary AFLW players Darcy Vescio and Tori Groves-Little, it signifies an important chapter in Australian sport, as journeys towards the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people officially begin. For many years, sport has lagged behind wider society, dug its head in the sand around any LGBTIQ+ related issues and neglected the welfare of LGBTIQ+ athletes. So why all these pride rounds and events in sport suddenly?