Changing the Footy Code, ~ interesting article on the BFL.

[tess]

http://www.bnews.net.au/content/view/1297/
by DOUG POLLARD

After personally experiencing homophobic behavior in a country football club, gay entrepreneur Rob Mitchell has embarked upon a personal mission to rid Victoria’s football code of discriminatory behaviour.

In mid-2005 Mitchell and his partner swapped St Kilda for country life in Lexton Plains, Central Victoria, and immediately became involved in their local football and netball club.

“Someone just mentioned to me they were on the lookout for sponsors,” he said, “and it was as simple as that.”

The out gay couple attracted little hostility. In fact, Mitchell was approached in 2006 to be president of the club.

He was asked to address two big problems – a lack of water for the pitch (with only a salty bore for water), and a lack of funds to pay players and encourage up-and-coming youngsters.

Mitchell quickly solved the salt problem, importing a small desalination plant from the US at a tenth the cost of the local equivalent. Then he turned his attention to raising $25,000 the club needed for player development.

“I figured they were making a great leap of faith,” he said. “It ain’t a great scientific work to realise that gay presidents of country football clubs are pretty much non-existent. So I thought I’d use my business contacts to … get the money. I sold it to them on the basis that it was worthwhile being associated with a forward-looking club.”

However, Mitchell told bnews the committee failed to act when one club member subjected him and his partner to such a sustained campaign of anti-gay abuse, that he was forced to get an intervention order from a magistrate.

Mitchell says the shocked committee then apologised, and he thought the matter resolved – until his tormentor was voted in as the new president.

Shocked and angered by the betrayal, Mitchell returned the money he had raised to the donors – but not before printing a photo of the cancelled $25,000 cheque in a full-page ad in the Ballarat Courier explaining what he had done, and why.

“It was a big thing for them to put in a gay president, but equally it was a big thing for me to go and bang the tin for an organisation that then turned round and slapped me in the face,” he said.

He took his grievances to Lexton Plains Football League, who asked him to help them draft a new anti-discrimination section for the procedures manual to cover discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Up to then, the guidelines had covered only racial and religious discrimination.

With the support of Rob Ward of Ballarat Football League and Brett Anderson, of the Victorian Country Football League, and the help of Ann Mitchell of Gay and Lesbian Health and Peter Gourlay of the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission, he did just that.

The manuals for Lexton Plains and Ballarat leagues, covering more than 12,000 players, now outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, and set out appropriate disciplinary and grievance procedures.

That section is also up for inclusion in the Victorian Country Football League Manual, and Mitchell plans to take it to the VFL and the AFL.

Mitchel’s actions have attracted the attention of Sports and Youth Minister James Merlino, with whom he will meet within the next two weeks. He says such action is needed to “look after same-sex attracted youth”.

“I don’t believe as a parent (and I am a parent), we’re doing anywhere near enough. If they follow the lead of Rob Ward and Brett Anderson, it’s not difficult and it’s not expensive. It just needs leadership,” he said.

Personally I think this Mitchel did NOT have the Clubs best interests at heart, obviously the Club didn't want him as President so he took his glow mesh back and went home. How pathetic is that. Someone should explain to him there is no I in Club or Team, typical self centered gay bloke looking to expand his own little empire rather than help create a Club that is Viable long term.

 

[merrigan]

http://www.bnews.net.au/content/view/1297/
by DOUG POLLARD


Personally I think this Mitchel did NOT have the Clubs best interests at heart, obviously the Club didn't want him as President so he took his glow mesh back and went home. How pathetic is that. Someone should explain to him there is no I in Club or Team, typical self centered gay bloke looking to expand his own little empire rather than help create a Club that is Viable long term.

Good on ya Tess

 

[the_other]

I don't think there is anything wrong with his actions; the club was obviously using him for his money, why should he have had to put up with harrasment for a club that obviously doesn't respect him?

I am glad that the Ballarat Football has been a leader in such an anti discrimination issue. Good on you Rob Ward and Brett Anderson.