Sports Talk: Raising the Rainbow Flag

Five of Australia’s most groundbreaking LGBTQIA+ athletes will unite for the first time during the 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival for Sports Talk: Raising the Rainbow Flag, an exclusive conversation about identity, resilience, and the future of inclusion in Australian sport.

The event brings together athletes who have each changed the landscape of their codes, offering an honest and unfiltered look at the moments that shaped them — the triumphs, the pressure, the visibility, and the battles fought to raise the rainbow flag in sport.

Featuring an all-star panel:

• Ian Roberts (NRL) — the first Australian professional athlete to come out publicly while competing at the elite level.

• Matthew Mitcham OAM (Diving) — the first openly gay man to win an Olympic Gold Medal.

• Ellia Green OAM (Rugby 7s & NRLW) — the first trans man to win an Olympic Gold Medal.

• Mitch Brown (AFL) — the first professional male AFL player to come out as bisexual in the league’s 129‑year history.

• Ash Golden (AFL) — coach, player, umpire and leader of the Newtown Breakaways Women’s Program, with 23 years of AFL experience.

Host: Jackie Loeb — award‑winning comedian, actor and musician, known for Full Frontal, Good News Week, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and international comedy tours.

Following the panel, attendees will have the opportunity to meet each athlete, have memorabilia signed, take photos, and connect directly with the icons who continue to redefine inclusion across Australian sport.

Funds raised will support the upcoming documentary Light – The Ian Roberts Story through its Documentary Australia fundraising campaign.

Doors 12pm, Sports Panel 1pm, Meet & Greet 2:30pm.