AFL nfint clubs and players are ready to support gay teammat
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AFL READY TO EMBRACE GAY PLAYERS: EVANS
AFL nfint clubs and players are ready to support gay teammat. IT'S BEEN over six year sce Jason Akermanis suggted "AFL footy is not ready" for an openly gay player. Akermanis' view was cricised by many players and admistrators at the time, but the issue of homophobia the sport was hard for League honchos to has changed sce then, thanks part to LGBTI (lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, tersex) advote Jason 2012 beme the first male Atralian l football player at any level to publicly e out as AFL player has done the same.
"AFL football operatns manager Mark Evans is nfint the League has reached a pot where a homosexual player would feel fortable g out. SAM GILBERT, gay in. It might not be a scriptor the St Kilda fenr ever expected, but, acrdg to Jason Ball (Atralian Football's first openly gay male player), the scriptn is que, a 28-year-old centre half-back for Victorian untry club Yarra Glen, explaed how highly Gilbert is thought of by the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, tersex and qutng (LGBTIQ) muny.
"He's bee a gay in a way, " Ball said of the veteran Sats fenr. "It sent a msage to other people the sportg world that sayg no to homophobia don't make you ls of a man. "I me to unrstand a lot of the homophobic language and behavur wasn't g om a place of hatred towards me or gay people, but rather jt ignorance and not knowg the impact on me, " Ball said.
SAT BE 'GAY IN' AHEAD OF AFL'S GURAL PRI GAME
"Once I was out, that homophobic language fad.
"(They weren't) necsarily directed at me, but every time I would hear those words, felt like a remr if they found out I was gay, I wouldn't be accepted. "Ball was 12 when he realised he was gay.
"Acrdg to the study Out On The Fields, which documented the experienc of gay, lbian and bisexual people team sports, 87 per cent of young gay Atralians felt pelled to hi their sexualy some hid his sexualy om his football club for many years, but he had ma a promise to himself he would not lie about if ever knew tryg to fabrite tal about experienc wh women would get him ught was openly gay while studyg at Melbourne Universy, so when an old school iend me to the football club, Ball's sexualy soon beme an open secret, although he remaed unaware others night after trag, while talkg to a teammate, the nversatn shifted and Ball was asked about his personal life.