TBH i'm suprised about this, i never really thought there was that much discrimination at the Pheonix games that major parts of the LGBT community that wanted to go were put off. Sad if true.
However, I feel the Pheonix do have a perception problem that is true.
I work in the construction industry and took a bunch of asian workers (and football fans) from a building site in central wellington to a game. None have returned. They laugh and say am "i going to hang out with my white middle class mates?" One mentioned to me to count the none whites around me at the game (not including those working in the food service industry)...for a multi cultural city the number was appaling. A one handed man missing a couple of digits could play this game quite easily.
Sorry Balbi for stating this on your tread but i feel this is a major problem.
The Pheonix don't attract all Wellingtonians, because football/Pheonix is still seen as an upper class, British thing.
Nah mate, you're bang on tbh, how football is percieved effects who wants to come to a game.
The Rainbow Fever thing not so much a simple fight against discrimination (but yeah, it is) as being openly welcoming to communities who, like your mates from work there, look at a Nix crowd and maybe make an assumption about what it'll be like.
Look at football across NZ and you'll see mad diversity, but when it comes to the top it's still a lot of white (british) guys running the show.
Obviously the Nix already run a lot of diversity programmed.