AFL Quebec’s 2022 version of its annual Pride Round has been nominated for event of the year by Equipe Montreal!
AFL Quebec has been hosting a Pride Round since 2019, and in addition to the regular football festivities you can find BBQs, DJs, other music as well as a sea of rainbow flags.
The reason for Pride Rounds is to give visibility and facilitate discussions around LGBTQ+ participation in team sports, so everyone gets a chance to learn and understand more about how to better welcome LGBTQ+ into a predominately non-LGBTQ+ team environment. Thus actively reversing the negative stigma of the ‘old days’, when team sports were not always seen as safe and happy places for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Equipe Montreal is an association of 27 LGBTQ+ sporting associations and activity groups. Equipe Montreal’s mission is to promote the participation of LGBTQ+ individuals in team sports, as well as combat LGBTQ+ phobias.
AFL Quebec has been a member of Equipe Montreal since 2017, and is officially recognized as the first LGBTQ+ ally league in Montreal. The league itself takes part in a number of activities internally and externally in the community for the celebration of Pride.
AFL Quebec Director Chris Cuellar says ‘The great thing about being an ally league as opposed an LGBTQ+ exclusive league, is that with LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ individuals all playing together, united, side-by-side, this promotes a stronger message of diversity, respect and friendship for everyone in the community. Our wish is that other AFL leagues, and sporting leagues, become ally leagues too’.
2023’s Pride Round planning is well underway and AFL Quebec hopes to make it bigger and better than ever with a more central location in Montreal, to give more visibility to AFL as a sport that can be played by everyone, regardless of one’s sexual or gender orientation.
To keep up with all of the AFL Quebec activities including the 2023 Pride Round by following their various social media accounts.
You can also learn more about Equipe Montreal by visiting their website.
