Earlier in the month former player Lachlan Beaton came out in a video explaining that he was gay. The video ended up going viral and was seen by thousands of people around the world. During his time on the field he never announced that he was gay, but now felt that there is more social acceptance of the gay community and wanted to let his fans know how he felt.
The University Blacks wanted to show support for their former teammate by changing their jerseys to represent that being gay was acceptable. The back of the jerseys read “Gay? That’s OK” in big letters right above their player number. The jerseys also featured a large rainbow v-shaped design that ran down the torso of the uniform.
Along with changing up their uniforms, the playing field was altered as well. An enormous rainbow was painted across the 50-metre line.
“We just think that the AFL and sporting clubs can do a lot in this space by physically coming out and saying that it’s okay to be gay,” Charles Beaton explained to the Outlet.
The University Blacks aren’t the only people in the world of Australian sports that have stepped out to support the gay community. Back in July the Burgess brothers, a couple of British rugby gods that have been playing in the Australian Rigby League, have also put themselves out there to show that there is a lot of support for anyone struggling to come out as gay.
“It’s ignorant and old-fashioned [to think] if you’re a male you can only love a female,” explained Thomas Burgess. “Nowadays, anyone can love anyone and people just need to get over it.”
Thomas Burgess ran his own campaign to help end homophobia in the sporting world with the help of his brother Sam Burgess last year. The brothers have expressed their deep passion with LGBT rights, stating that a big motivation for them was due to their two lesbian aunts that encouraged them growing up.
“We always thought it was normal,” Thomas explained. “They were really helpful in our growing up and we loved them.”
Sports are becoming increasingly accepting of the gay community, and more and more players are coming out than ever before. With 64 percent of Australians supporting gay marriage and 81 percent of Australians between the ages of 18 – 24 supporting it, you can expect big changes in upcoming years.