A young gay Manly player has been left devastated by the stance taken by seven of his clubmates to resign this weekend rather than wear the club’s pride shirt.
The players decided to boycott the clash with the Roosters on Monday, refusing to wear the shirt, which supports the LGBTQ community.
The players, believed to be Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula, Christian Tuipulotu and Toafofoa Sipley, are refusing to play in the shirt for religious reasons.
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But his stance has left a promising young gay sea eagle devastated, who has yet to come out publicly.
“He’s a good young player coming through the grades and he just wanted to play first grade for Manly,” a friend of the player told Wide World of Sports.
Men’s players Sean Keppie, Kieran Foran and Reuben Garrick wear the club pride shirt. (Male Sea Eagles)
“But this move by the players has shocked him. He thought they would accept him as he is if he ever decided to go public with his sexual preferences, of course that’s not the case.
“He has been devastated by this turn of events – the pride jumper is supposed to be a sign of hope and inclusion.
“Having half the team boycott him instead of playing has saddened him deeply.
“They don’t have a problem supporting gambling for their jumpers, which is a sin according to the Bible. But when it comes to homosexuality, they have a problem.”
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Former Manly tough man Ian Roberts hit global headlines as the first footballer to come out as gay in the 1990s.
He told The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday he was upset but not surprised by the Manly players’ stance on the single shirt.
“I’m not totally surprised that it’s bumping everybody else. As an older gay man, I’m used to it. I expected there would be some kind of religious pushback,” Roberts said.
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