Jason Akermanis An Australian footballer has told gay players to stay in the closet, claiming the AFL isn't ready to accept them. Western Bulldogs midfielder Jason Akermanis has written a column in the Herald Sun saying someone declaring himself gay would cause discomfort in the sport's environment. It comes as rumours have been circulating around Melbourne over the past fortnight that an AFL player would publicly announce he was gay. Two former players are also rumoured to have been offered AU$150,000 to be the first to publicly come out as gay. "Imagine the publicity associated with a current player admitting he's gay. It would be international news and could break the fabric of a club," Akermanis writes. "Football clubs are very different environments. Locker room nudity is an everyday part of our lives and unlike any other work place." Akermanis points out that the suicide rate is higher for people attracted to the same sex and says away from football he supports any initiative that helps lessen public bias against homosexuality. "Now try being the first AFL player to come out. That is too big a burden for any player. I know there are many who think a public AFL outing would break down homophobia, but they don't live in football clubs. It's not the job of the minority to make the environment safer. Not now, anyway." Today he went on to tell the Nine Network footballers are at their peak of masculinity, which means homophobia is "almost at its peak". "Some footballers think there's something wrong with people, they have some kind of disease." Akermanis denies he is homophobic, saying he played in Queensland with a gay player who he thinks is "a terrific guy" and "tough and courageous". "But some of my, the homoeroticism around football clubs ... what workplace would you be able to see 20 men nude all the time if you wanted to? "When you're slapping blokes on the bum and just having a bit of fun, what would that do to a man in there when you actually work out, 'Oh wait a second, wait a second. I don't know if I can handle that guy"', he told Nine Network. In 1995, rugby league star Ian Roberts announced he was gay, becoming the first person in the history of the sport to do so. Welsh rugby centre Gareth Thomas, who now plays league, came out last year, the first rugby union player to do so.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 20th May 2010 - 11:41am