Is the AFL ready for gay players to come out?
This was the headline and this is now the view that pervades any young vulnerable mind when it comes to acceptance; not only in sexuality but also with minority groups.
This view was publicly expressed last week by Jason Akermanis and I can't accept it. It raises my heart-rate and gets my Armenian gay blood boiling.
My first reaction is: ``No one's going to come out now''. But on reflection, issues about acceptance are important. We need to discuss them, especially when the hate in our city and violence seem to dominate the headlines.
It's ironic how so many cried when Jessica Watson came home from her trip round the world. We are a nation yearning for a hero, for a leader, for an educated, well-presented empowered youth to be brave and to conquer.
But that's not what Akermanis wants. He wants us to hide.
What poor timing from Akermanis. During the week the AFL launched an anti-homophobia campaign, and only a few days ago Melbourne hosted a rally for gay marriage in the city.
And then along comes an individual of note given a voice much louder than many of us will ever have - who ignorantly expresses his views on homosexuality and ultimately equality.
Akermanis describes how the culture of footy, which can be ``homoerotic'', would feel threatened if the occasional bum slap were whipped with real conviction.
Seriously, Akermanis, we aren't a shallow and naïve society any more, and we won't let comments lacking depth represent the AFL.
This is because we are on the verge of social and cultural change.
And, Akermanis, the only way for anyone, no matter their social standing, to feel comfortable in the hand of someone they love - whether that be on the Brownlow red carpet or on their shag-pile rug at home, is for them to have a voice. A voice supported by a community and a team.
Some may view Akermanis's words as a backhanded rev-up; some form of veiled motivation for gay players, in the most dominant sport in Australian culture, to kick down that closet door.
His words did get us talking, but talking is only that.
According to
Wesley Lifeforce 30 per cent of young gay males will attempt suicide. This figure is tragic. And suicide is the leading cause of death for males aged 15-24: footy player age.
So if you're a gay footy player standing tall on the Australian stage, look internally for the strength that got you to this level. You’ve got a job most of us dream of, with so much opportunity and status.
I so much want you to be a so-called renegade.
Come forward as a footballer, bring yourself to the top of Akermanis' food chain and show him that gay men can survive and are accepted.
Do it for yourself, do it for our cultural game, do it for those young gay men who have taken their own lives, for the future and for the fighters of the past.
Our governments are spending millions of dollars fighting hate crimes and keeping our streets safe.
Yet, according to Akermanis, it is too dangerous and too hard for a gay man to play footy.
It is you, Jason Akermanis, and your half-baked views on freedom and equality, who is making our football fields unsafe.
It’s not a matter of being ready; sometimes we just need people to be great.
By Vanessa, from Mia Muse
Photos from the "inclusion and diversity" campaign launched by some of AFL's top players and coaches. Taken from The Age.