CGFC Pride Round - what it means
This weekend is Pride Round for the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club.
This player-driven initiative is another step towards promoting and celebrating inclusivity and equality in the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club community. To encourage broader discussions around acceptance and inclusion within our community.
The CGFC women’s seniors and reserves sides will celebrate the round by donning a specially designed jumper featuring rainbow bands as well as rainbow socks.
Our CGFC Women's Reserves Coach Deb Konopnicki shared her thoughts on CGFC Pride Round means to her.
Representation matters. Pride isn’t just a tokenistic wave to the rainbow; it’s our opportunity to demonstrate our respect and support and promote visibility. This is my first Pride Round at the club, and I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be at Glenhuntly this weekend celebrating and representing the LGBTQI community alongside my Caulfield family.
I came out as queer kid in my early 20s. I was a very sheltered kid and had no language to be able to describe myself and had absolutely NO idea that there was a thriving community in Melbourne. The more that I started to become involved, the more that I was able to see myself, and my place in the world made sense.
I met my wife Amy when I was 23, and together we embraced the community more and more – going to numerous marches, rallies, and protests to fight for equal rights. It’s a bit hard to describe my feelings when reflecting on these times now.
Being able to wear a Caulfield jumper with the rainbow this weekend feels like a badge of honour. It’s a nod to the past and all of those before us, the changing times that we’re living through right now, and the possibility of more change and acceptance in the future. I have never been surrounded by a more supportive group of people with a care and love for one another – all of whom have a genuine excitement to don the pride jumper this weekend.
If we can be out there and proud, imagine what that representation can do for those that are trying to figure themselves out in a supportive environment. Imagine how powerful it will be to see strong women and men, proud to be out (and the allies supporting them). That queer kid in her 20s would have been stoked.
The day aims to raise funds for the National LGBTIQIA+ Health Alliance, an organisation whose mission is to provide a national focus to improve health outcomes for the LGBTIQIA+ community.
CGFC would like to extend an invitation to the VAFA and the wider Caulfield community to come down and support our amazing players and this great cause!
We thank Elsternwick Osteopathy who have generously sponsored CGFC Pride Round 2021.
