Posted: May 13, 2019 4:28 am
It's thoughtful enough, but ultimately I disagree.
Gay rugby players have been bullied and cowed into silence well into the 21st century. Top level sport is one of the worst areas for participation of openly gay people, and rugby is amongst the worst sports*. Gay people have been cowed into silence or kicked to the kerb for an awfully long time. The idea that a false apology and "lesson learning" is enough to let an out and proud homophobe (who happens to be really fucking good at making the team he wants to win, win) back in the team because it's worked before seems somewhere adjacent to "self-serving" and "thin" to me.
My deep concern (aside from the role model issue, and what it says to Aussie fans) is that it prioritises the bird in the hand of a current player against all the future gay players who've been pushed out for far too long.
Admittedly I'm somewhere between "purist" and "Nazi" on these sporting issues, so I'm not sure my tuppence worth is all that valuable, and I'm not a great RU fan (let alone Aussie RU).
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Thomas_(rugby)
That's 2009. 2009.
Gay rugby players have been bullied and cowed into silence well into the 21st century. Top level sport is one of the worst areas for participation of openly gay people, and rugby is amongst the worst sports*. Gay people have been cowed into silence or kicked to the kerb for an awfully long time. The idea that a false apology and "lesson learning" is enough to let an out and proud homophobe (who happens to be really fucking good at making the team he wants to win, win) back in the team because it's worked before seems somewhere adjacent to "self-serving" and "thin" to me.
My deep concern (aside from the role model issue, and what it says to Aussie fans) is that it prioritises the bird in the hand of a current player against all the future gay players who've been pushed out for far too long.
Admittedly I'm somewhere between "purist" and "Nazi" on these sporting issues, so I'm not sure my tuppence worth is all that valuable, and I'm not a great RU fan (let alone Aussie RU).
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Thomas_(rugby)
In December 2009, Thomas announced publicly that he is gay.[18] He told the Daily Mail, "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost I am a man".[19] Thomas' public confirmation of his sexuality made him the first openly gay professional rugby union player.[20]
That's 2009. 2009.