THE AFL's elite have once again joined forces to tackle homophobia and promote inclusion as part of IDAHOT, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia which took place on Sunday 17th May.
IDAHOT commemorates the day homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation in 1990.
AFL players are this year calling on all fans to #influencechange by sharing the #footy4IDAHOT video campaign across social media.
Prominent figures from within the AFL community – including AFL Players' Association president Matthew Pavlich and CEO Paul Marsh, AFL stars Chris Judd, Matt Spangher and Sam Mitchell, senior coach Nathan Buckley, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and female footballer Aasta O'Connor – have united to feature in the video campaign targeted at combatting homophobia in society and promoting an inclusive environment for all.
Launched exclusively on Network Seven's Saturday Night Football, the video campaign, coordinated by the AFL Players' Association in collaboration with the AFL, is calling on fans to never use homophobic language and stand up to those who do, with an emphasis on fostering a culture of inclusion.
IDAHOT ambassador and Hawthorn star, Matt Spangher, says he's thrilled that the industry is taking a stand on such an important cause.
"It's crucial that we, as an industry, do everything we can to raise awareness of the damaging impact homophobic language can have within our society and to encourage acceptance of diversity," he said.
AFL Players' Association CEO, Paul Marsh, agreed with Spangher and said the AFLPA encourages players to take leadership on social issues they feel strongly about.
"We have had great enthusiasm from the playing group in getting involved in IDAHOT as it's something a lot of players are very passionate about. Hopefully having the players take a stand on such an important issue will help to create change in the wider community," he said.
AFL Head of People, Customer and Community, Dorothy Hisgrove said, "The AFL is proud to join with the GBLTI community to fight homophobia. We know that having one Pride Game is a small step, but we look forward to this journey to tackle discrimination."
