I have a some readers who are really into the “sports world” news, so this one is for you! But there is another aspect to this story I want to stress.  Well, two aspects really, or maybe three.

The current Akermanis controversy stems from a column he wrote in Melbourne’s Herald-Sun, in which he said gay AFL players should stay in the closet.

After a heated public reaction, Akermanis claimed the newspaper had altered his column, before eventually acknowledging it was his own work, an admission the club was angry he had not made earlier.

First is the base issue of gays in sports. All across the globe the issue of out gay and lesbian athletes is being discussed as more and more brave athletes come forward and identify their sexual orientation. Not only are players coming out, but teams, and the structure of professional sports is making progress at demonstrating a lack of tolerance for intolerance, like with this story. Sports won’t become fully safe for LGBT athletes anytime soon, but these are all steps forward.

Second, I’d like to highlight Akermanis’s actions after the controversy arose. His first inclination was to blame someone else. To try and get away with saying the newspaper had altered his column. To me, this demonstrates that the guy knew what he had published had been all wrong. He didn’t even want to take credit and show any backbone about supporting the discriminatory perspective. I wonder how many people go along with acting or speaking in discriminatory ways, because it is fairly easy and they can get away with it, rather than because it expresses their deep seated beliefs?

Third, I want to suggest that this is a great example of really confronting homophobia. Shine a light on it- let it be seen for what it is. Changed attitudes isn’t about punishment or retribution. Rather change comes by demonstrating the unacceptability of homophobia, in whatever form it takes.

via Bulldogs hit Aker with two-match ban over ‘gay’ comments – The West Australian.