Ian Roberts: Last News

Ian Roberts, the first out gay rugby league player, has addressed the Manly pride jersey boycott. Roberts, a former Manly Sea Eagles himself publicly came out in 1995 while playing for Manly.Seven Manly Players To Boycott NRL Match Over Gay Pride JerseyRoberts told Fox Sports that the controversy “breaks my heart.” “And to try to explain what a Pride Round means, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community, what it means to us individually.”Roberts said that Pride Rounds are about being welcoming, inclusive, and making people feel valid and seen.“It isn’t a thing of exclusivity. It’s just about welcoming and saying to the LGBTQIA+ community, you’re part of the greater community and you’re welcome here.”Stressing why a Pride Round is so vital and the potential consequences of this player backlash, Roberts said, “I’ve lost friends to suicide and I’ve seen the consequences of what homophobia, transphobia, and all the phobias can do to people.”He continued, “There are kids out in the suburbs, out in the regions, who may not have heard many stories lately.

Magda Szubanski had a message for the seven Manly players who decided to boycott the team’s gay Pride jersey citing their cultural and religious beliefs – look to the lesson of tolerance that their religion teaches them. Szubanski helpfully shared Bible verses “that might help the Manly players get their heads around it”.Here are some Bible quotes that might help the Manly players get their heads around it https://t.co/0ScLoERwDZ pic.twitter.com/1Ty6LVB36g— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) July 26, 2022In a series of tweets, Kath & Kim star Szubanski asked if the players believed in a tolerant society.  “Thought experiment: imagine if Manly players were asked to wear stripes to let religious players & fans know they are welcome,” said the actor, adding, “Then imagine an atheist player refuses to wear the stripes because their “belief” (based on fact) is that millions have been killed in the name of religion.”“Religious tolerance doesn’t mean you condone or believe in the other’s religion.  It means that you accept the right of difference to exist. That you support a world where people are not excluded or persecuted because of their religion.

Ian Roberts, the first openly gay rugby league player, has called out the NRL, New Zealand Warriors, and North Queensland Cowboys for their slow reaction time in the wake of a homophobic slur shouted during a game, on Friday night.Roberts was disappointed that it took the club two days to respond to the slur and cited the Josh Cavallo incident in January as a positive example of what should have been done in this case. Warriors player Marcelo Montoya has been identified as the player that used a homophobic slur against Cowboys player Kyle Feldt. During Friday’s game, Montoya, who had floored Feldt in a tackle, could be heard in the broadcast audio saying “get up Kyle, you f****t”.Montoya, who apologised for the slur, will plead guilty to the NRL judiciary.

EXCLUSIVE: The UCB Theatre is coming back as Mosaic founder Jimmy Miller and former CEO/Owner of The Onion Mike McAvoy have acquired the legendary comedy brand with the financial support from Elysian Park Ventures.