When Melbourne claimed the 2022 AFLW premiership in Brisbane, the Ruby Demons were there every step of the way.

Wrapped in rainbow scarves amid a sea of red and blue, the LGBTQIA+ fan group shared a moment that meant more than football.

For Katrina Oxley, it was the first time she truly felt she belonged at a football game.

“I was a lot more comfortable being myself and being in my own skin,” she says.

“I really felt like I found my tribe within the football community”.

Marked by years of silence and exclusion, the AFL’s relationship with homophobia is long and complicated. But behind this history, a new culture is emerging in the stands.

Led by passionate football fans such as Oxley, a growing network of AFL supporter groups are creating a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Organisations like the Ruby Demons attend matches together, sit alongside cheer squads and host social events that foster a sense of belonging inside and outside the stadium.

“I’ve never felt more connected with the club than I have in the last few years,” Oxley says.

“That’s what being a part of the Ruby Demons has been able to do for me.”

Their presence reflects a wider shift in Australian sport, where fan engagement is increasingly being recognised as part of the conversation around inclusion.

Sport and community wellbeing researcher at Swinburne University, Dr Carleigh Yeomans, says supporter groups like the Ruby Demons play a pivotal role in creating inclusive spaces within football culture.

“Sport fandom can provide a powerful sense of belonging for LGBTQIA+ individuals, even when participation itself feels out of reach,” she says.

“Organisations need spaces for all fans to feel seen, safe and connected to their teams.”

A 2026 study led by Yeomans found that fandom offers a form of belonging in sport that feels lower risk and more accessible to LGBTQIA+ people. The findings suggested that inclusive fan culture can affirm queer identities just as strongly as participation opportunities.

“It sends an important signal that all fans are welcome, regardless of their identity,” Yeomans says.

In Round Two of the 2026 season, Lance Collard received a nine-week suspension for using a homophobic slur during a VFL match. The sanction was appealed by St Kilda Football Club, which resulted in a reduced ban of four weeks.

In its reasoning for the decision, the AFL Appeals Board stated that homophobic and racist language is commonplace in the AFL due to the highly competitive nature of the game.

While the AFL has committed to stamping out homophobia, the handling of incidents like Collard’s suggests it remains an ongoing issue in the league.

For LGBTQIA+ supporters, the controversy highlighted the gap between the AFL’s inclusion messaging and the culture many fans still experience.

David Gould, the founder and president of LGBTQIA+ supporter group Carlton Pride, says these cases point to a deeper cultural issue that extends beyond the AFL.

“It makes me feel sad, but I’m not surprised at the same time,” he says.

“I think it’s quite obvious that homophobia still exists within Australian rules football, as it does within society as a whole.”

For supporters like Oxley, it is a painful reminder that the game she loves does not fully accept her community.

“There’s a reason we’ve never had a male player come out during their playing days,” she says.

“The fact that these incidents are still happening shows how far we’ve still got to go.”

Despite these ongoing challenges, supporter groups across the AFL say change is slowly becoming visible in the stands.

For Oxley, the progress is most noticeable at AFLW matches, where she says inclusive supporter culture feels more accepted.

“We’re probably more engaged with the girls’ football than with the men’s,” she says.

“I think a big part of that is that the women’s league is a lot more forward thinking when it comes to the acceptance and celebration of gender and sexual diversity.”

As Carlton Pride approaches its 10th year as an organisation, Gould says his group has also been readily embraced by the AFLW community.

“Carlton Pride have a great relationship with the women’s team in particular,” he says.

“We love having that because it creates a closeness to football that we perhaps don’t feel as much with the men’s game.”

Years after Melbourne’s AFLW premiership win in Brisbane, Oxley still remembers the rainbow scarves woven through the sea of red and blue.

For the first time, football felt like a place where she could fully be herself.

“It’s time to get rid of that stigma and reclaim some pride,” she says.

“Gone are the days where people should feel ashamed of who they are at the footy.”