Australians do not think openly gay, bisexual or lesbian people are very safe as spectators at sport matches, a new global survey of homophobia in sports reveals.
The 'Out on the Fields' report surveyed 9,494 people of mixed sexual orientation around the world about their experiences of homophobia, with a focus on team sports. It was commissioned by the Bingham Cup, organisers of the 'gay rugby world cup'.
The results suggest homophobia in team sports is more widespread than many people may think.
Many, but not all, of the participants in the survey identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. A total of 3,006 of those surveyed were from Australia, including 1,316 straight people and some were athletes in major codes.
This world first study on homophobia in sport revealed 70 per cent of respondents felt youth sport in Australia was not safe and supportive for gay people.
Most of the Australian respondents (75 per cent) believe that openly gay (or bisexual) people would not be very safe as spectators at sporting events. Of those, one quarter said they “strongly disagree” to the question of spectator safety for openly gay people.
The survey data was collected in 10-15 minute online surveys and focused mainly on team sports.
Sports fans who regularly attend matches have talked to SBS about their first hand experiences of homophobia at games.
Brennan Bastyovanszky plays for the Sydney Convicts team as a prop in the international gay Bingham Cup rugby competition.
He says a loud comment of "faggot" aimed at a New Zealand player at a rugby union game in Sydney prompted him to confront the verbal abuser.
“Everybody [nearby] could hear,” Mr Bastyovanszky said.
But his friends and bystanders ignored the homophobic taunt. Mr Bastyovanszky then walked over to talk to the shouting fan.
“Look, that type of language isn’t appropriate any more. You can’t call somebody ‘faggot’,” Mr Bastyovanszky recalled.
Mr Bastyovanszky said it's possible to call out such homophobic behaviour in a non-confrontational way.
He said people may not realise how offensive their remarks can be but hopes homophobic slurs will eventually become taboo like racial slurs.
Nearly half of Australian survey participants said spectator stands were the most common locations for homophobia to occur, which was higher than the international survey results.
Another person who's encountered hurtful language at sporting events is Essendon Bombers fan Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, founder and president of the Purple Bombers.
The Purple Bombers are a group within the Essendon Football Club which aims to make the AFL safer and more tolerant.
He said there had been many occasions where he had heard offensive language that made him uncomfortable as a spectator.
“[Homophobia] has been, and it’s still there, even as recent as a couple of weeks ago some of my friends had to listen to people yell out homophobic slurs,” Mr Tuazon-McCheyne said.
He has also politely asked fans to stop their homophobic slurs, but still often feels unsafe as a spectator.
“It’s safe if you don’t appear gay,” Mr Tuazon-McCheyne said.
“I went to the football with a transgender person a few weeks back for a Western Bulldogs game because she was afraid to go by herself, and I was a little bit afraid to go myself,” he said.
“She just looked like a regular football fan the way she dressed. If she dressed as a lovely woman, she may have copped some problems," he said. "It shouldn’t threaten anyone.”
Mr Tuazon-McCheyne said seeing a change among Essendon fans and the wider AFL community would be a slow burn, but some LGBTI people were buoyed by the existence of the Purple Bombers, he said.
Five code agreement
The Australian Sports Commission says there is no place for homophobia in Australian sport.
It has a called the Anti-Homophobia & Inclusion Framework Statement of Commitment.
It’s an agreement between five major Australian sports codes - Australian Rugby Union, National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Football Federation of Australia and Cricket Australia.
The framework aims to encourage inclusive sporting environments for all people, including spectators, with methods of the codes’ choosing.
Despite this, a number of Australian fans and players have appeared in the media this year over homophobic incidents.
Another project the ASC is involved with, , promotes tolerance for all people in Australian sport at any level with tools and resources available to deal with discrimination.
But the 'Out on the Fields' survey shows more work needs to be done in professional codes to make sure the anti-homophobia message is fully understood, the ASC said.
More efforts needed to stamp out homophobia
The findings indicated vastly different experiences for gay and straight people playing team sports, experts say.
"Masculine team sports can be pretty challenging for gay men," said Professor Caroline Symons from Victoria University's Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living.
She said Australia was only just beginning to to talk about homophobia in team sports.
The survey suggests fear of rejection and experiences at school prevent many LGB people from playing sport, particularly younger people. The survey also confirmed that coming out to team mates is often tough.
The Out on the Fields survey says LGB people, especially gay and bisexual males, perceived homophobia to be a larger problem than straight people.
Jason Ball is well known as an anti-homophobia campaigner and plays Australian Rules football in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League.
He believes homophobic attitudes stem from ignorance.
“I’ve noticed that my team mates, especially before I had come out, just weren’t aware that that language was being used so frequently, or that it was having a negative impact,” Mr Ball said.
After coming out, Mr Ball noticed a change in his teammates’ attitudes.
“It became very real to my teammates that that language would have an effect on me. And I was one of their mates. When you’re playing a team sport you want everyone to be able to perform at their best.
“It became real for them and fast tracked their maturity on the issue.”
The 'Out on the Fields' survey results suggest having one or two people on the team who already knew about a person’s sexuality made it easier to come out.
That result matched Mr Ball’s experience.
Several teammates, who had friends in common, approached him to let him know they knew about his sexuality and that it was not important to them.
“That felt like a really big relief.”
The survey says a fear of rejection was the second most common reason for people not to come out to their team mates.
When the entire team knew, Mr Ball was heartened to find he was accepted.
“The reaction from my teammates was overwhelmingly positive. I guess I had a lot of fears about how they would react and they weren’t realised.
“Coming out is actually a really powerful thing to do.”
“They knew me as me, before they knew me as gay. And that probably helped.”
Coming out was important still, to challenge society’s assumption that people are straight, Mr Ball said.
“Coming out is actually a really powerful thing to do,” he said.
“Not just for your own wellbeing and feeling like you can be yourself. But in terms of being a role model, being able to change people’s attitudes on the issue.”
The Bingham Cup initiated the Out on the Fields survey that was published this morning, which the Australian Government has helped fund.
-With AAP
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