Solution to the Manly Rainbow Jersey Fiasco

Seven Manly rugby league players won’t be playing in an upcoming match because they refuse to wear a rainbow pride jersey. I’ve got a simple solution to this (and I think the only sensible solution).Show more

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But before I get to the solution, just a few comments.

1. Forcing people doesn’t work (and may have the opposite effect). Does the LGBT community really want people to be forced to wear rainbow colours against their will? I mean, does that benefit anybody? Will that achieve equality? No. It would probably have the opposite effect. Just say that all the rugby players capitulate and put on the rainbow jersey. At what cost? They’ll be frustrated. They might even feel humiliated. But at the very least, they’d be resentful. Is that what the LGBT community wants? A mob of frustrated, angry, resentful football players wearing pride colours? That won’t achieve equality. If anything, that will just divide people even more (as we’re seeing playing out in the media). If I was a member of the LGBT community, I’d only want people who freely support my cause wearing the rainbow pride jersey. It makes no sense to have people who disagree with you wearing those colours. But to be fair to the LGBT community, I don’t even think it was them who were calling for Manly to wear these jerseys. It was the owners and management at the Manly Rugby League Club, and they mismanaged it completely, which has only resulted in more division and more frustration among the community.

2. NRL is already inclusive. I must admit, I don’t follow the National Rugby League, but at least outwardly, they’re already very inclusive. The clubs don’t care where you come from, or what your religious beliefs are, or your political persuasion, they just care that you’re good at playing rugby league. Ultimately, the only goal of the clubs is to win rugby matches. If they win lots of matches, they get lots of money. So really, the only thing that counts from the players’ perspective, is their proficiency with the ball. As a vegan, if I tried to sign up, I’d get rejected. Not because I’m a vegan, but because I can’t bloody well play football!

3. Hundreds of social groups. There are literally hundreds or even thousands of different social and cultural groups who feel disadvantaged in some way. There wouldn’t be enough rugby games in the year to accommodate them all. If the NRL start having a LGBT jersey for each team, will they also have an Indigenous jersey, and a migrants jersey, and a homelessness jersey, and a people with disabilities jersey, and a refugees from Botswana jersey… I mean, you get the idea. Where does it stop? Do we keep making jerseys until every social group is covered? And if we do have a LGBT pride jersey, what about the rest of the disadvantaged groups? Are they not worthy of inclusion? Are they not entitled to a special jersey as well?

And that leads me onto my solution. I think the answer is simple, and perhaps even obvious. The NRL should simply make a blanket rule that rugby league kits (and the pitch) should only promote the teams, the sponsors, and the sport they play. Everything else doesn’t belong there. There is no other way to keep it fair for the myriad of religions, cultures, and people of various political persuasions. Sure, if players want to go march in a rainbow pride parade on their days-off, go right ahead! If they want to go to church on a Sunday, great! If they want to support the Liberal Party, or the Labor Party, or The Greens, fine! Whatever floats their boat. But surely keeping the pitch a neutral environment where athletic men who are good at playing rugby league walk out onto the field with the intent of scoring tries and smashing their opponents with the best team claiming victory. Isn’t that exactly what the fans ultimately want to see?

MUSIC
Melancholia by Godmode

#manlyseaeagles #pride #jersey