Fatty strikes a pose against homophobia
ACON have welcomed Paul -˜Fatty’ Vautin’s offer to appear in their online anti-homophobia campaign This Is Oz.
Vautin, host of Channel Nine’s The Footy Show, agreed to appear on the site following an appearance on his show by the world champion Sydney Convicts gay rugby team.
Fatty publicly showing his support for GLBT rights will hopefully increase GLBT visibility and help change some attitudes among the people who watch his show, who are maybe not people who would be thinking about equality for GLBT people otherwise, ACON CEO Stevie Clayton told Sydney Star Observer.
Some people in the GLBT community have been critical of the Convicts for going on the show. Others think they did a great thing. This emphasises the divide between those on the one hand who think you punish people for behaving badly and those on the other hand who think you educate and encourage people to do the right thing.
There is no doubt that The Footy Show did the wrong thing initially with their homophobic skit, but how much more powerful is it then when they speak to the very same audience and say homophobia is not alright?
Negotiations are currently underway to arrange a photo shoot for Vautin, whose image could appear as soon as next week.
info: To upload your own images to This is Oz, or to look at the photos already uploaded, visit thisisoz.com.au
John- It’s not the photo. It’s a video clip of Fatty plugging the This Is Oz project on the Footy Show. Not sure if its that’s the official posting on their behalf either.
Can anybody else see the Footy Show photo on the thisisoz.com website? Every other photo shows up on my browser except that one! Does it exist yet?
alex….can you read???
“I agree with Andrew.”
Andrew M. Potts said,
June 23rd, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
‘Along with a number of other NRL players, Vautin was also one of the faces of the 1996 -œTackle Homophobia campaign in schools- so he should be doubly ashamed that the Elton Johns skit appeared on his show’
Hell..why stop here why don’t we offer CHANNEL 9 the lead float at the 2010 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras..!!!!
I agree with Andrew.
He was prominent in the 1996 -œTackle Homophobia campaign.
I also remember Fatty kicking Doug Mulray off his show for making Ian Roberts jokes.
I think ACON and Paul Vautin need to be applauded for this.
Sorry Chris, but I reckon you’re the one that’s “out of touch”
Is Vautin (Fatty) two faced or what ?
Vautin…now a poster boy for ACONS This is OZ campaign…what a joke…the host of a national tv program that thinks its a big joke to ridicule gay men !!!
Once again shows how out of touch ACON is
As for Stevie Clayton’s comments above…typical ACON spin!
Along with a number of other NRL players, Vautin was also one of the faces of the 1996 “Tackle Homophobia” campaign in schools- so he should be doubly ashamed that the Elton Johns skit appeared on his show. Retired players should stick to sports commentating and give “comedy” a wide berth.