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Footballer "slaughtered hopes of gay athletes"

Tue 25 May 2010 In: New Zealand Daily News

Gay New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup has hit out at Aussie footballer Jason Akermanis, who encouraged AFL players to stay in the closet. The Kiwi Winter Olympian came out in an interview with Australia's DNA magazine earlier this month. In a column for The Advocate, Skjellerup says Akermanis caused a lot of damage when he suggested there's no room in competitive sports for openly gay athletes. He says the footballer has slaughtered the hopes of gay athletes all over the world. "In a football locker room somewhere in Australia, a young gay boy, teenager - or even one of Akermanis' teammates - is reading these comments, and Akermanis's words have the power to send athletes into such disarray about their sexuality, they'll likely be left feeling confused and alone," he writes. Skjellerup says the number of times he and fought off thoughts and feelings about his sexuality as a teenager number in the hundreds. "These players in locker rooms - not just in Australia, but all over the world - will read Akermanis' comments and take away one thing ... the same thought I had growing up: I cannot be gay. I cannot be a successful sportsman and be gay. They will be left battling themselves and their sexuality on a deep and disturbing level." The speed skater says he came out to encourage young athletes to accept that no matter who they are, they can achieve their dreams. In a hard-hitting direct message to Akermanis he writes: "How would you feel, Mr. Akermanis, if a gay player was sitting across from you? How would you feel if you sent him so far into depression that he chooses to take his own life? It's happening all over the world - 11-year-old boys are killing themselves after being taunted at school for being gay. Men are being imprisoned because they choose to show love for one another. You have children; ask yourself what would you want for them if one of them turned out to be gay."    

Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff

First published: Tuesday, 25th May 2010 - 12:11pm

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