The announcement comes on the eve of the Firebirds' annual Pride Match against Collingwood at Nissan Arena on Saturday, 6 May, which is part of Suncorp Super Netball's inaugural Inclusion Round.
This will be the third time the Firebirds and Magpies have played a Pride Match since 2021.
Already an AIS Thrive with Pride Ambassador, Bakewell-Doran’s new role allows her to help spearhead Netball Queensland’s commitment to inclusivity and make netball a welcoming community for all.
Bakewell-Doran is enthusiastic about her role and the impact it can play helping Netball Queensland achieve strategic aims around allyship and enabling every individual in the community to contribute to building an inclusive and equitable environment.
"I am incredibly proud to be appointed as NQ's Pride in Sport Athlete Ambassador,” Bakewell-Doran said.
“In my role as an AIS Thrive with Pride Ambassador, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that LGBTQ inclusion can have on our sport and wider community.
“I am excited to work with Netball Queensland in a similar capacity to continue to build a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all, that people want to be part of.”
Allies play an important role in championing LGBTQ communities, and visibility is a key metric of the Pride in Sport Index. The world-first Pride in Sport Index is the first and only benchmarking instrument specifically designed to assess the inclusion of people with diverse sexualities and genders within Australian sporting organisations and codes more broadly.
Organisations working towards greater LGBTQ inclusion is vital for creating change in the sporting world and Bakewell-Doran’s appointment as Pride in Sport Athlete Ambassador is a significant step towards Netball Queensland helping with that ambition.
"We are thrilled to appoint Ruby Bakewell-Doran as our Pride in Sport Athlete Ambassador,” Netball Queensland Diversity and Inclusion Head Autumn Pierce said.
“We use the Pride in Sport Index to ensure our inclusion strategies are aligned with best practice. This appointment speaks to the strength of our ongoing partnership with Pride in Sport and is an important public demonstration of NQ's commitment to LGBTQ inclusion.”
“We are also proud of Ruby for welcoming this opportunity as she continues to build her leadership skills and personal brand.”
The Queensland Firebirds will don special Pride Tees during their warm-ups for Saturday’s match against Collingwood, while both clubs will don rainbow bibs during the match.
Tickets are still available for Saturday’s game via Ticketek.
