A queer rugby fan’s blown the whistle on the homophobia that’s rife in NZ rugby. Many say it’s time for officials, and society, to grow up, and stand up. Hannah Spyksma is a Rainbow Youth volunteer who has been heavily involved in the group's anti-hate WTF? campaign. When Auckland lesbian, Rainbow Youth Board member, journalist and All Blacks fan Hannah Spyksma urged loutish crowd members to stop calling players “homos and faggots” during the test between France and the All Blacks on Saturday, she was told ‘it’s just part of the game.’ The three men responsible then turned on her for the rest of the match, directing slurs in her ear, tapping her on the head and telling her not to go to the rugby again. Spyksma’s experience is far from a one-off. GayNZ.com knows of avid gay rugby fans who have sworn off going to live games due to the homophobia their ears are assaulted with at every whistle. But her action in speaking out has brought the issue to the surface. Both what she endured, and Eden Park’s ensuing response, have been met with disgust by diverse voices, from marriage equality campaigners and politicians to a rugby commentator, a high profile blogger and even a Christian broadcaster. Say what, Eden Park? It’s not Eden Park’s place to “be the PC police”, was the response of the ground’s spokeswoman Tracy Morgan, who told the New Zealand Herald: “If she’s saying that she was isolated and that it shouldn’t be acceptable, it’s not our job – I don’t believe – to try to move the cultural morals of society.” Well-known Public Address blogger Russell Brown says Eden Park’s response is dreadful. “Morgan should have stopped at the first paragraph. By her own account, and that of her family members, Hannah was subject to unacceptable behaviour. Tapping on the head or whatever, no one is allowed to physically (or verbally) harass anyone else in a crowd. It may be difficult to police, but the principle is not at all difficult. It is very, very simple,” he writes. “Hannah was targeted because she called the morons on their language, which was a courageous thing to do. Would I have done that? I don’t know. Crowds are tricky places for confrontation, because you literally can’t do what you’d do somewhere else – move away. Maybe I’d just have sat there gritting my teeth and hating them. But I like to think I’d have something to say when these boofheads turned their attention to Hannah. “And Eden Park management should have something to say, too. The defensive “not our job” “PC police” response their spokesperson gave the Herald is an insult to Hannah and to anyone else who pays money to come to the park. It tarnishes the image of the place itself. A mature adult needs to step in here on the park’s behalf and do and say the right thing. Immediately.” Christian broadcaster Pat Brittenden agrees, questioning what Eden Park’s response would have been if it were racism rather than homophobia. He says society also has a part to play. “All that needs to happen for homophobia to exist is that we do nothing. The people in the stands did nothing, Eden Park has responded with a nothing response and now what should you and I do?” Abuse “Appalling” and “shameful” Apart from her brother, Spyksma had no support from anyone around her in the crowd who witnessed what happened. However the response to Spyksma’s open letter to the abusive trio has been mostly positive, with many online comments overwhelmingly supportive. Sumo has Hannah's back “Appalling” writes Aucklander Michael Witt. “I've been a season ticket holder for over 10 years and have never witnessed anything like this, nor would it be tolerated in the section I sit in. “More appalling that Eden Park bosses are quoted as saying they're not the ‘PC Police’. Shameful. Happy to shout you a couple of tickets in the South Stand to the next test. Sorry you had to suffer through that. Observer adds: “The fact that the Eden Park spokeswoman should allude to your protest as being 'PC' is astonishing, and says a lot about hateful attitudes that are, unfortunately, still common in this country.” Rugby commentator Scotty “Sumo” Stevenson has also weighed in, tweeting: “Good work standing up for what is right,” to Spyksma. Former MP Sue Bradford adds: “Kia ora Hannah Spyksma, fighting back vs homophobic rugby fans, tho pity this still rife - but each brave step helps.” Time for NZ to stand up Former England international Ben Cohen runs a 'Stand Up' against homophobic bullying foundation. Current Green MP Kevin Hague says now is the time for the New Zealand Rugby Union to take action and start tackling homophobia in New Zealand rugby. “The fact that the people hurling the abuse see it as part of the game indicates they have never had a message to the contrary from rugby leaders. "Overseas, the big campaigns in European soccer on homophobia and racism became necessary because loutishness and bigotry had been allowed to grow unchecked. We have let this bigotry grow unchecked in rugby too. "Ex-captain of the Wallabies David Pocock is an active supporter of marriage equality in Australia, and Ben Cohen has done the same thing in English rugby. But in New Zealand, even with the huge public support for marriage equality our rugby leaders were silent on the matter. Hague says as community leaders, our top sportspeople should step up and speak out on the importance of inclusiveness. "If New Zealand Rugby or the All Blacks aren’t going to address this issue then we as fans need to step up. "If any All Blacks or Silver Ferns or other leading sportspeople want to speak up about their opposition to homophobic behaviour in sporting, I will support them in that." Sure, we can get married. But can we go to a rugby game without our ears being assaulted? The Campaign for Marriage Equality has also expressed gratitude to Spyksma for speaking out, saying post-marriage equality, we need to have this discussion. “Fundamentally, the Campaign for Marriage Equality is about standing up for equality for all New Zealanders. There cannot be full equality when there is discrimination,” it says. “We are disappointed in Eden Park management's response, saying that they are not the ‘PC police.’ They say, ‘it's not our job ... to try to move the cultural morals of society.’ We strongly disagree. New Zealand has moved passed a point where homophobia can passively endorsed in sport. Racial slurs would not be tolerated in the same way. “We strongly believe that sport should be free from homophobia and believe that it is indeed the job of Eden Park and the NZRU to ensure that spectators and players are protected from this kind of abuse. “Many overseas sports grounds and teams have taken strong lines against fans and players who use homophobia on the field and we support moves to do the same here." Campaign for Marriage Equality is urging others who feel the same to stand with it, and send a message to Eden Park management that they must do better than passively endorsing homophobia by allowing it to continue in their stadium.Thank you! Spyksma says she is “overwhelmed and humbled” by the support she has received. “Thank you to everyone who has expressed solidarity in one way or another,” she says. "It's refreshing and humbling to know that there are so many people who agree that there's no place for homophobic language in sport. No matter whether you identify as gay, straight, lesbian, queer, trans* or any colour of the rainbow, nobody needs to feel like they are somehow not good enough because of who they are,” she says. "Let's hope that conversations about how we use language continues, as my voice is just one in Aotearoa that should be heard.” Jacqui Stanford - 12th June 2013