headspace and the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) join forces to say no to homophobia
Australia’s Youth Mental Health Foundation, headspace and the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) have joined forces to say no to homophobia.
headspace today released an online video campaign to highlight the fact that positive messages about inclusion and diversity, delivered by high profile members of the community, can have a positive impact on mental health.
Featuring the words of North Melbourne player Drew Petrie and HawthornPremiership player Brad Sewell, the video shows previously-releasedimages of past and present AFL players and coaches holding signsvoicing their views on homophobia.
The images were originallyused in an internet campaign in the lead up to the recent InternationalDay Against Homophobia, that featured a range of people in thecommunity holding signs containing messages of tolerance.
Theheadspace name and website is shown at the end of the video to remindanyone who needs support that there is someone else to turn to.
TheCEO of headspace, Chris Tanti, said he appreciated the AFL playersallowing their images to be used to highlight the fact that homophobiais a mental health issue: “AFL players standing up tohomophobia will go a long way to removing the stigma some sections ofour community still attach to gays and lesbians,” says Tanti.
“Weknow young people who are same sex attracted or uncertain about theirgender identity are at higher risk of experiencing mental healthconcerns due to the difficulties associated with disclosure andcommunity attitudes. Same sex attracted young people are up tothree times more likely than their heterosexual friends to attemptsuicide and in rural and regional areas the attempted suicide rate forsame sex attracted young people is six times the population average.”
9 Comments
I’m not sure about this one.
It’s been done
The headspace name and website is shown at the end of the video to remind anyone who needs support that there is someone else to turn to.
That is the worst piece of crap I have ever seen on this site. And there have been some huge pieces of crap.
Holy shit.
A laudable campaign, homophobia has no place in modern society. I just feel these ads skirt around the whole issue. I had no idea what they were talking about until the ‘Homophobic his-story’ card.
Why pussy foot around? Surely there must be some gay AFL players, past and present, where are they? Probably too frightened to out themselves I suspect.
The problem with this and indeed the whole AFL/Homophobia issue is that it’s too abstract.
Yes, there are gay footballers, but only in concept.
I understand that they’re trying to lay a path. Theoretically all these gay footballers are being discriminated against right? Sure, but who are they?
if you’d never met or even seen (on tv) an African living in poverty would you donate to a cause supporting them?
It’s like a self-fulfilling issue – let’s set up a media scrum outside the closet and then when someone comes out, we can shine lights in their eyes and tell everyone how bad homophobia is.
It’s not just fear/homophobia that keeps people in the closet, it’s also a want for privacy. And for men like AFL footballers, who are so acutely defined by their occupation, these men see themselves as “footballers” and perhaps they don’t want to be judged as anything but that.
Hi Gobsmacked,
If you have any constructive ideas on how we can utilize sportspeople to reduce homophobia, and hence the youth suicide rate, I would be glad to hear them.
You can email me at rob@rjm.org
Regards,
Rob Mitchell
Beautifully handled, Rob.
Class.
At least they didn’t drop the ball