That is not rational. In fact, it’s ridiculous. Comments like that only serve to divide on the issues.
In fact, I find it insulting
I defy anyone to tell me that they have sat down at a football game and wondered what the sexuality of the person, sitting next to them, is
Ive conversed, cheered and cried with the 20 people in the surrounding seats where my season tickets are.
Not once, never ever has their sexuality crossed my mind.
i even hugged a total stranger after we won in 2014. I wasn’t thinking he was evil, gay or even thinking what he thought of me. I embraced a perfect stranger. Try it
As I previously posted, the NRL's own statistics acknowledge that 42% of LGBTI people hide their sexuality or gender identity at "social & community events".
Just because you did something or you think something, doesn't mean everyone does or thinks the same, as has been pointed out ad nauseum in this thread and this entire week - just because you don't think about the people around you's sexuality doesn't mean that others don't.
We accept the fact that more work needs to be done to fully integrate, acknowledge, respect and include Indigenous people into the game - this is despite a decade or more of Indigenous Round and dozens of First Nations superstars, even before the league began making it a priority.
We accept the fact that more work needs to be done to fully integrate, acknowledge, respect and include women into the game - this is despite a decade or more of Women in League Round, a women's competition, female referees, zero tolerance towards violence against women (as evidenced by support of initiatives such as White Ribbon Australia), etc.
We even began acknowledging the diversity of the races, ethnicities and cultures of the game with Multicultural Round.
And yet, there is still racist language thrown around at Indigenous and Pasifika players, as well at other players, while women continue to come out and allege crimes, abuse and assaults by NRL players, and that's not even touching on other more general crimes such as the alleged stabbing incident involving Manase Fainu or situations such as Matt Lodge's one.
Why would we draw the line at someone's gender identity or sexuality not being as worthy of respect, tolerance and inclusion as race or indeed gender as we do with women? That is the key to this issue.
I can't remember who said it or where I heard it, but "people will draw the line of acceptance right below themselves" - we will generally accept from others what we do or say because we will refuse to accept that we, as people, do any harm or wrong to others.
Just because you aren't affected by an issue, or don't let that issue affect you or your perception of others, doesn't cancel out the fact that it may still affect others.
