Gay Rugby World Cup

[Scoey]

It's not a "gay" competition at all. It is centred around being inclusive and that is the key - I am certain the organisers would welcome any player that wanted to advance the push toward a more inclusive society and in particular a more inclusive sporting culture in Australia regardless of sexuality.

On the Gillard thing, she appears to be opposed to gay marriage but is not opposed to equal rights for gay people as has been previously stated. The former is a specific point of contention, the latter is a very sweeping statement that doesn't assist in promoting good debate on the topic.

As I said in my first paragraph, I don't think this tournament would discriminate on the basis of sexuality or any other point of difference for that matter but I do need to say that reverse discrimination is still discrimination and is equally abhorrent. Regardless of your intent, discrimination and exclusivity is never the right way to go.

 

[What2040]

Probably be played, embraced in Sydney and analised the world over

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Wiki tells us:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Kendall_Bingham_Memorial_Tournament

In 2002, gay and bisexual rugby union teams worldwide founded the International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) as a body to promote rugby union as an all-inclusive non-discriminatory sport which everyone can play, regardless of sexuality.
An informal invitational tournament, held in May 2001, was formally inaugurated by IGRAB as a new international rugby union competition — a gay rugby union world cup — which in a unanimous decision by all the members of IGRAB became known as the Bingham Cup.
The tournament was named after Mark Bingham, a former University of California, Berkeley rugby star who had played in the May 2001 tournament for San Francisco Fog RFC and cofounded the Gotham Knights RFC.[1] Bingham died in the September 11, 2001 attacks on board United Airlines Flight 93. According to Jon Barrett of The Advocate, he is generally accepted to be one of a group of passengers who fought with the hijackers aboard the flight, which eventually led to the hijackers crashing the plane into a vacant field in Pennsylvania instead of targets in Washington, D.C..[1] At the time of his death, there were around eight gay-inclusive rugby clubs worldwide, and he was helping[citation needed] to create others.

The IGRAB web site tells us: http://www.igrab.net/

The founding principal of all gay rugby clubs is that a player’s sexual orientation is irrelevant to his or her ability to play rugby or be a teammate or opponent. Because of this, IGRAB member clubs have held firm to the idea that no club founded on providing a place for gay people to play rugby should discriminate against those who are not gay.

The facts appear to be:
1. The International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) run this tournament.
2. Non-Gays are not prevented from playing in the Bingham Tournament (AKA Gay Rugby World Cup).
3. IGRAB do not promote reverse discrimination.
4. Mark Bingham (RIP) was a true hero, and an inspirational role model.

The conclusion is any Non-Gay who feels uncomfortable playing in this tournament, or somehow feels that they are being excluded on the basis of their heterosexuality, is the one with the discrimination problem.

 

[Jets]

It is gay and inclusive so your sexual orientation doesn't come into play.

Mark Bingham, who the tournament was named after, was one of a group of people on a flight on 11 Sept that fought the terrorists and stopped their plane crashing into the Washington DC. There is something on Rugby Dump today about him.

http://www.rugbydump.com/2011/09/2099/hero-mark-binghams-legacy-lives-on-after-911

 

[Richo]

It surprises me that unions would be anti-gay marriage. Over here at least, unions are bastions of liberalism and inclusiveness, often pushing the boundaries in that direction.

I lived and worked in Canada for some years and it's like that there too. But in Australia some -- not all -- of the unions are staunchly Catholic and socially very conservative, even though they are pro-welfare state and pro-collective labour rights. A good example is the shop assistants union headed by Joe de Bruyn. This is one of the major reasons that the ALP is a social democratic party but not particularly progressive.

Anyway. Back to the topic at hand.

I think it's great that events like this are happening. Sexual orientation shouldn't even remotely matter in sport. I think many active sportsmen would agree. The American basketball great Charles Barkley said last year something along these lines: "I know I played with gay guys. I didn't care if they were gay, I cared if they were good." He went on to elaborate that what athletes care about most is winning. He implied that the problem is with fans more than locker rooms, although he did also say that some athletes are as bigoted as anyone else.

Sportsmen (and women) often come out in retirement. Hopefully we'll start to see a sporting landscape in which players don't have to hide their sexuality when they're playing.

 

[matty_k]

I have seen a doco on Sydney Fleet, they promoted a couple of hetrosexual guys who play in the team.
Don't think they had any homophobics in the team though.

From memory of the documentary the first straight guy in the team had no idea that the guys he were playing with were gay. When he was told he just shrugged his shoulders (or something similar).

 

[BDA]

On the Gillard thing, she appears to be opposed to gay marriage but is not opposed to equal rights for gay people as has been previously stated. The former is a specific point of contention, the latter is a very sweeping statement that doesn't assist in promoting good debate on the topic.

haha. what a bullshit comment. "I believe in equal rights to all, save for certain rights". haha. seriously give yourself an uppercut. Truth be told I suspect Gillard is not opposed to Gay marriage. she and the ALP just don't want to lose votes. In this day and age Politicians always play it safe. Hence this PR stunt.

But this is probably not the appropriate forum for a human rights debate... I'll try to keep it rugby related.

I recall seeing a segment on the NRL Footy Show last year where some players from the Convicts (i think it was the Convicts) went on the show to promote awareness. One of the blokes mentioned that he was straight and decided to join the team after his mate (who no-one knew was gay) committed suicide. good story.

 

[Braveheart81]

One of the blokes mentioned that he was straight and decided to join the team after his mate (who no-one knew was gay) committed suicide. good story.

You could have probably chosen your words a little more carefully.

 

[BDA]

You could have probably chosen your words a little more carefully.

ha well it doesn't look good when you bold it like that

 

[Braveheart81]

It is gay and inclusive so your sexual orientation doesn't come into play.

Mark Bingham, who the tournament was named after, was one of a group of people on a flight on 11 Sept that fought the terrorists and stopped their plane crashing into the Washington DC. There is something on Rugby Dump today about him.

http://www.rugbydump.com/2011/09/2099/hero-mark-binghams-legacy-lives-on-after-911

That video is terrific.

I had to stop watching it halfway through at my desk at work though because I was starting to tear up.

 

[Jets]

I had the same problem, luckily no one else was around.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Rule 10 boys.
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/welcome-to-g-gr-history-and-rules.7341/

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Wiki tells us:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Kendall_Bingham_Memorial_Tournament


The IGRAB web site tells us: http://www.igrab.net/




The facts appear to be:
1. The International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) run this tournament.
2. Non-Gays are not prevented from playing in the Bingham Tournament (AKA Gay Rugby World Cup).
3. IGRAB do not promote reverse discrimination.
4. Mark Bingham (RIP) was a true hero, and an inspirational role model.

The conclusion is any Non-Gay who feels uncomfortable playing in this tournament, or somehow feels that they are being excluded on the basis of their heterosexuality, is the one with the discrimination problem.

Having established all those ground rules - this is one world cup the Wobblies might be able to win!

 

[southsider]

but anyway unfortunatly i get roped into arguments too easy

main point is this rugby tournament is a good thing, who would have a problem for more opportunities to watch/play rugby aye

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Having established all those ground rules - this is one world cup the Wobblies might be able to win!

Get with the times. The Sydney Convicts are current holders, and IIRC have won it previously. Same as the Wobs have done with Bill.

Australia has won RWC (Bill) x 2, Olympic Gold Rugby x 1, Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Gold x 1, Gay RWC (Mark Bingham) x 2. Think there is a Womens 7's World champ or two in there as well.

Across the broad canvas that is rugbydom, we are awesome. Who said Rugby is dying in Australia?

 

[Sully]

What has this got to do with the Gay Rugby world cup? Leave it alone or start a thread in 'everything else'

 

[louie]

lots of posts just got deteled/moved.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Excluding the Marriage talk on this thread, which also serves to illustrate my point but it deserves its own thread under Politics thread, Can you imagine this discussion going on among rugby players and supporters 25 years ago, 15 years ago?

The ambivilance of fellow Gaggerlanders towards a fellow rugby players sexuality is a joy and must be heartening to any gays that are part of Rugbydom.

We have come a long way in Rugby and in some parts of society over the years.

Sadly not all parts of society, or all sports (cue Boofhead Akermanis), have completed that same journey. The residual gay and lesbian discrimination issues are, like the Same Sex Marriage issue, topics for another thread.

Meanwhile, good luck to the Convicts with the campaign to defend "Mark" at home.

 

[Sully]

I've moved them all to a dedicated thread guys. Stop posting here

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/gay-marrage.11711/

 

[AngrySeahorse]

haha. what a bullshit comment. "I believe in equal rights to all, save for certain rights". haha. seriously give yourself an uppercut. Truth be told I suspect Gillard is not opposed to Gay marriage. she and the ALP just don't want to lose votes. In this day and age Politicians always play it safe. Hence this PR stunt.

Agree big time with this a good example is Penny Wong - with the ALP & gay. I'm sure she supports gay marriage but due to the stance of her party she must tow the line. I think it happens a lot, pollies towing the line of their political groups' stance that may be in contrast to what they actually stand for - god I would find that difficult.

Anyhow, I am happy for the gay rugby world cup to go ahead as a "stereotype barrier take-downer" if I can put it that way but ultimately look forward to a day coming when no one really gives a crap.