Are AFL fans more homophobic than....

Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Posts
5
Likes
0
AFL Club
Sydney
Thread starter #1
Are AFL fans more homophobic than Rugby League fans at the Game...

Bear with me folks...this is a serious question.

I'm from Sydney and I am a Rugby League fan. I follow Souths Sydney Rabbitohs and I go to most games.

I have a gay friend at work who used to follow League but now only goes to Sydney AFL games because the crowd there are more accepting of him. I took this to mean that his non gay friends he goes with know about him and absolutely don;t mind it a bit and he tells me that people he has met there (straight) don;t bat an eyelid.

I asked this very same question in Leagueunlimited forum that I frequent and it generated a pretty long discussion (most of it treated seriously). One of the main things I learnt is that Sydney AFL supporters are perhaps too different to Victorian or SA regular AFL fans.

Without pre-empting any further I throw this question to the AFL fans.

Do you reckon that AFL fans are generally more homophobic than RL fans at the game.

For the record RL fans seem to think they generally are not but since I have not experienced what the crowd chant, yell or how they abuse down in Vic I cannot make a comparison.

Homophobia definition for this purpose to mean: Fear of, or seemingly being gay for associating with, gay people.

I'll ask on big question later on which really really test your answers... you might want to carefully access your attitudes with these Q's

1) Would you take a gay freind to the footy?

2) Would you want your friends to know you have taken a gay person to the footy

3) If your club started a "pink" supporter group would you sit/stand anywhere near them if they were wearing your club colours?

I'll pose a few more questions later.

Also, please, I am asking this for some serious research into an article I am writing. I also want to point out that as a League fan I object to the use of the term GayFL. I do hear it a lot and it's in a way what prompted the discussion with my gay friend as I mentioned earlier.

Thanks for your patience and I look forward to reading your views.

Salut!
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

theorangeapple

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Posts
5,626
Likes
3
AFL Club
West Coast
#2
I would take a gay person to the footy.

I would tell my workmates he was gay if it came up in conversation. I wouldnt walk into work and say "Hey everyone, I took a gay to the Swans game on Sunday".

I am sorry, I am talking about 'gays' like they are different. I dont mean to come across like that, just answering the question.
 

Conan Troutman

Premiership Player
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Posts
3,426
Likes
430
Location
Geelong
AFL Club
Geelong
#3
1) Would you take a gay freind to the footy?
Yes

2) Would you want your friends to know you have taken a gay person to the footy
Don't care if they know or not. Both who I went with, and/or whether they're gay or straight

3) If your club started a "pink" supporter group would you sit/stand anywhere near them if they were wearing your club colours?
Wouldn't care either way - would sit/stand wherever was best for me, or where my seat was
 

Allefgib

Premium Platinum
Joined
Sep 16, 2005
Posts
21,134
Likes
13,251
Location
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
GO YOU CROW BOYS
#4
Interesting question.

I only got to one game last season because I was overseas most of it (always time to squeeze in a footy game when home for 2 weeks :) ) but I know it REALLY s**ts me to hear some Adelaide supporters still scream out 'POOFTER' when the opposition FB kicks in after a point at the Northern end. Not sure if thats still a common thing (any crows fans sitting down there these days care to comment?) or not and not sure how offensive a gay person would find that in this day and age, but its irritating at best for most the straight fans in that area.

Can't compare to RL though as not been to enough League games in my time, JUST TOO FREAKING BORING!!!

To answer your questions.
1) Sure.
2) I wouldnt want them not to know which is more relevant isn't it? I wouldn't go bragging saying I had taken a gay person to the football.. that makes it sound unusual which it shouldnt be. (Is it?)
3) I would sit/stand where I always have or wherever I got a ticket. If they were fun to sit near them certainly wouldnt move, if they made watching footy less enjoyable by acting like 15 year old girls screaming over the cute players then yeah I might move but only coz it was irritating :p (does that make me homophobic to joke about it??)
 

Lingsface

Club Legend
Joined
May 9, 2005
Posts
1,949
Likes
1
Location
perth
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
geelong
#5
1) Would you take a gay freind to the footy?
I have no gay friends
2) Would you want your friends to know you have taken a gay person to the footy
I wouldnt do it

3) If your club started a "pink" supporter group would you sit/stand anywhere near them if they were wearing your club colour
No i would take the ******** out of them
 
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Posts
153
Likes
0
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
collingwood
#6
I'd sit next to a gay bloke at the footy, or take one if any of my mates were gay, doesnt bother me at all, im not up myself to think they think im a hot man ;-) anyway, if they are considerate to understand im disabled and dont judge me, i can do the same for them. Everytime ive gone to the football in melbourne, no one's treated me any different, I get a few stares but thats about it.
 

Hearts to hearts

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Mar 16, 2001
Posts
18,910
Likes
27,068
Location
Melbourne VIC
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wales, Eastwood, West Ham
#8
I know plenty of gay people who go every week and cheer for their team alongside everyone else, and have never heard of any of them getting any flak or feeling uncomfortable in the crowd. There's not many of the old trogs shouting "poofter" these days - it's like a few sad individuals who still shout racial abuse, the bigger crowd just pities and ignores it.

Fans just go to the watch the game. One of the beauties of AFL, over most other sports, is that there are no flat spots where you watch the people around you and look for other ways to fill the time. It's all about the game. You all yell "BAAAALLL!" together and chant your cub's name together. And if the guy or woman next to you barracks for your (AFL) team, and chants and yells and cheers along with you, you don't care if they are in sequins or a boilersuit.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

dodgyJim

All Australian
Joined
Oct 5, 2004
Posts
882
Likes
0
Location
Sydney
AFL Club
Essendon
#12
I have a homo mate that comes to the footy with me every now and again. You wouldn't think he is gay because he is not one of those "poncy queens" that strut about the place.

1) Would you take a gay friend to the footy?
Yes, I do already.

2) Would you want your friends to know you have taken a gay person to the footy
Don't really give a rats clacker. It's my mate end of story.

3) If your club started a "pink" supporter group would you sit/stand anywhere near them if they were wearing your club colours?
Don't care where I sit, I already sit next to little kids, suits, bogons, fat people and those intelligent rednecks who love to scream the words "poofter" and "dirty f@ggot" regardless of the women and children around them. As long as I have a reasonable seat to watch the footy then I will sit next to anyone.
 

Blues_Man

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Posts
26,798
Likes
3,479
Location
paradise
AFL Club
Carlton
#13
theorangeapple said:
I would take a gay person to the footy.

I would tell my workmates he was gay if it came up in conversation. I wouldnt walk into work and say "Hey everyone, I took a gay to the Swans game on Sunday".

I am sorry, I am talking about 'gays' like they are different. I dont mean to come across like that, just answering the question.
I would not eat green eggs and ham ...Sam i am
would you eat them in a boat ? ..would you eat them with a goat ?
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Posts
1,149
Likes
5
Location
Wait Awhile Kala
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Whoever plays the Egirls
#14
dodgyJim said:
I have a homo mate that comes to the footy with me every now and again. You wouldn't think he is gay because he is not one of those "poncy queens" that strut about the place.

1) Would you take a gay friend to the footy?
Yes, I do already.

2) Would you want your friends to know you have taken a gay person to the footy
Don't really give a rats clacker. It's my mate end of story.

3) If your club started a "pink" supporter group would you sit/stand anywhere near them if they were wearing your club colours?
Don't care where I sit, I already sit next to little kids, suits, bogons, fat people and those intelligent rednecks who love to scream the words "poofter" and "dirty f@ggot" regardless of the women and children around them. As long as I have a reasonable seat to watch the footy then I will sit next to anyone.

ANZAC DAY?
 

Adnar

Team Captain
Joined
May 11, 2005
Posts
302
Likes
3
Location
Sydney
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Melbourne Storm, SydneyFC
#18
I don't really see how accusing a player of being a "poofter" or whatever is really a witty, funny or stinging call against a player. So what if they player was gay, would someone abuse a player about any other sexual prefrences.

"BUCKLEY YOU GOLDEN SHOWER LOVING BITCH!".

It just is irrelevent.
 

Blues_Man

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Posts
26,798
Likes
3,479
Location
paradise
AFL Club
Carlton
#19
Adnar said:
I don't really see how accusing a player of being a "poofter" or whatever is really a witty, funny or stinging call against a player. So what if they player was gay, would someone abuse a player about any other sexual prefrences.

"BUCKLEY YOU GOLDEN SHOWER LOVING BITCH!".

It just is irrelevent.
It would only work if he was playing on Gehrig :D
 

littleduck

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Nov 27, 2003
Posts
13,128
Likes
8
Location
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
#20
AFL is probably a natural attraction for males of questionable persuasion because there are no big ugly boofhead prop forwards and second rowers and therefore its just a game for the pretty boy backs.
 

MarkT

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 1, 2001
Posts
32,669
Likes
33
Location
Melb
AFL Club
Collingwood
#21
You can’t really be that homophobic if you pay top watch 4 bloke shove 3 blokes heads up 2 blokes bums.

In all seriousness, I can’t recall the last time I encountered any homophobia at the footy. I still hear racist remarks from time to time but squibs don’t get called poofs any more.
 

NineLives

Senior List
Joined
Aug 13, 2004
Posts
233
Likes
0
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Geelong
#22
Would gays want their own "pink" area at the footy? Anyway l thought the colour for gays was now rainbow colours or is that a lesbian thing.
 

dodgyJim

All Australian
Joined
Oct 5, 2004
Posts
882
Likes
0
Location
Sydney
AFL Club
Essendon
#23
Most of the time the gay comments are usually targeted at the men in white......err.......orange......blue.....green....etc

you "f@ggot ump"......"bloody poofter ump".....
 

tess

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Posts
6,108
Likes
5
Location
"on the prowl"
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Northern Saints/VFL Pies
#25
The most successful of the rash of queer supporter groups that popped up a few years was Collingwood Football Club's official queer supporters group, The Pink Magpies. This group had no drama with the players and only a small drama with any supporters.

The Pink Magpies although still a tight knit group of people are NO LONGER, this is because of the openess The Collingwood Football Club showed this group. It surprises no-one at the Lexus Centre either Before or After a game if there are same sex couples holding hands ect ect. It is because of this openess at Collingwood that the group is NO LONGER required.

Just a pity the other 15 AFL Clubs could not catch up.


And some of you fools call my Club rednecks.....
 
Top Bottom