Page 985 - Week 03 - Thursday, 10 April 2014
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Sport is often a platform for broader issues in society, in terms of highlighting both positive and negative behaviour. At the end of the 1993 AFL match, after enduring constant racial abuse from Collingwood supporters, St Kilda’s Nicky Winmar turned to face the crowd, lifted up his jumper and pointed to his skin. The moment was immortalised in photos and the next day the Sunday Age published one under the headline: “Winmar: I’m black and proud of it”. But that was 20 years ago. Surely it could not happen today.
But during last year’s AFL Indigenous round Adam Goodes was racially vilified by a 13-year-old spectator. Last month the father of NRL player Justin Hodges spoke out about the abuse he suffered while coaching an under-13s junior team when a parent from his own team called him a “black bastard”. This follows the NRL indefinitely standing down a man for racially abusing Broncos’ star Ben Barba on social media.
Indigenous athletes are also role models on the international stage. When a basketball player reacted aggressively to an alleged racial slur from a spectator during an American college basketball match, team mate and ex-Canberran Patty Mills used social media to shine a light on Adam Goodes and his handling of the situation during the Indigenous round.
Indigenous athletes are important role models for all Australians because they are confident and proud of their heritage, but they want racism out of sport. Adam Goodes, the 2014 Australian of the Year, is an ambassador for the national “Racism: it stops with me” campaign—a campaign promoting a clear understanding in the Australian community of what racism is and how it can be prevented and reduced.
Sport is a platform for change. While unfortunate instances still arise, there is little doubt that Australian sport in 2014 is markedly different from that of 15 or 20 years ago. We are proud of the inclusive and open nature of our sporting system. Professional codes such as the AFL and NRL have been at the forefront of promoting inclusion and supporting these words with action—robust policies and programs that reinforce the message. This extends not only to racism, but gender equality and multicultural inclusion as well.
Nationally, the “Play by the Rules” initiative focuses positive messages on safe and inclusive environments, and at all levels of sport. “Play by the Rules” is a website-based program for sporting organisations and clubs at all levels providing information, news, online training and a range of resources to assist sports. “Play by the Rules” partners with various sporting and community organisations, including the ACT government through Sport and Recreation Services and the ACT Human Rights Commission, to promote inclusive, safe and fair sport. Supported by parallel campaigns such as “Racism: it stops with me”, “Play by the Rules” sends a strong message in regards to racism.
Yet within the context of all this positive change, there is seemingly a group within our community which has been somewhat left behind. It is not that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people do not like sport or do not want to participate. There is no evidence that members of this community are no less passionate about physical activity or their local footy team than anyone else.
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