Convicts to tackle The Footy Show
Members of the Sydney Convicts gay rugby club will speak out against homophobia in sport while making their first appearance on Channel Nine’s The Footy Show this Thursday night.
The non-professional Union players asked to go on the show after the airing of a controversial skit about the Johns brothers. The request was welcomed by The Footy Show ‘s executive producer Gary Burns, who thought the Convicts would make a fun and informative segment.
The main reason we want to go on the show is to provide a face for gay rugby players to the mainstream media and general public, Convicts club president Charlie Winn said.
We’re only seeing this as a part of the solution and we’re not trying to in any way say that everything’s hunky-dory.
Our appearance is only part of the gay and lesbian community’s response to a skit that clearly turned sour and went over the line. We respect that others are calling for various other actions but by going on the show we will send a message that you can be gay, play sport and be welcomed, he said, referring to an impending legal suit against the show by gay activist Gary Burns.
The show’s executive producer denied claims that the team’s invitation to the show was about buying favour in the lead-up to this court action.
It is definitely about raising awareness about gays in football and sport and putting a face to the gay male -” that it’s not just men partying during Mardi Gras, but it is also to demonstrate that we have no phobias. We have no case to answer so we have no fear of anything legally, Burns said.
The Footy Show has always been open to people of all genders, sexualities and creeds. We have never considered anything we’ve done to be homophobic or discriminatory against any part of society.
info: The Footy Show airs on Channel Nine Thursday 9pm. For more information on the Convicts visit sydneyconvicts.org.
I have friends in New Zealand and they recieve high lights of the Footy Show, they were shown Thursday nights addition on Friday night and it featured Richard Reid taking the piss out of us but did not feature the Sydney Convicts on the show, It seems the produces of the show edited out the sydney convicts before selling the show to the broadcaster in New Zealand despite featuring other guests on the show, because the broadcaster in New Zealand who shows the highlights stated thats how they recieve the show in the edited form, my friend contacted sky tv the nz broadcaster and thats what they said. So the the Footy Show obviously considers Richard Reids gay vilification a high light of the show. Looks like the Sydney Convicts were USED.
It’s disappointing that the Footy Show haven’t put video for the Convicts segment up on their website- though they have put the segment from the same episode where they play on Richard Reid’s sexuality for laughs.
Thanks Fuzz, Now where will I find it on youtube ?
Guys,we are in the proces of uploading the the interview on Youtube. It should be up by the end of the day, onlong with the This is Oz plug. Fuzz
Yes – will somebody (the convicts PR person perhaps?? PLEASE post the clip on You Tube. Many would have been out last night AND many more (around the World) should see it anyway!
Richard
Can someone up load the segment on youtube.
Charlie and Matt carried themselves with dignity and pride.
(It was especially needed after the cringe worthy appearance in a cross promo with Channel 9’s TodayShow of gossip personality Richard “Uncle Tom” Reid.
Good on ya fella’s – think of all the closeted men who were able to lift their chin!
Convicts,
Fantastic job last night. You really got the message across that homophobia is still a huge problem. The Footy Show had no answer to your comments about how offensive the Elton John skit was. Great job.
I think it’s a good idea for us to start going head to head with mainstream homophobic media, & get direct visibility to thier massive audience.
It will in fact be a huge shock to many straight viewers to see the Convicts tonight, as examples of how diverse our community is. When Ian Roberts came out, he was treated like a one off freak- imagine the “straight world’s” suprise when they find out there is now an entire team of them!
Ah just to clarify a point I made:
Whatever the merits of the Tribunal action, the outcomes take a long time and the offence of the actions fade from memory. I also do not believe you can order someone to give an apology.
If that action brought about the Convicts appearance, well that is a positive and very tangible result.
Go the Convicts, show ’em we are everywhere…
Ummm… The Convicts play union. Which footy show are they are appearing on? The NRL or AFL show? LOL!
THE big question is will Charlie Winn and The Convicts take the Footy show to task for the shameful homophobic attack on all of us aired only a few weeks ago. Failure to do so would be equally shameful and would be seen as enabling hateful behaviour. Convicts we will be watching you- do not let us down!
Thousands of closeted gay men will be watching the Footy Show tonight with their family or wives – the Convicts show to them and the straight audience how diverse being gay can be – I can’t see any downside to it.
It certainly is more powerful than an empty apology ordered by a court sometime in the next three years.
Look Channel Nine is in denial over the gay vilification on the show and if Gary Burns does not win his case its going to be alot harder to prove a case on gay vilification, thats why anything thats potentially going to weaken Gary Burns case is bad.
Tony – “I know it’s tempting to dismiss them as dickheads, but talking to the dickheads is a much more effective way of dealing with their prejudices”
Tony if only it was that easy, I understand where your comming from though. They only get away with there prejudices if society lets them, and since the “Elton Johns” skit has been shown the ratings have actually increased on the Footy Show which is another way of the general hetrosexual public not giving a toss about gay vilification, hence allowing them (the show) to publicly show there prejudice towards gays. The way I see it is that its probably going to be very difficult to deal with there (the show hosts) homophobia so another way is to attempt to change societys views on homosexuality so then its more difficult for the likes of the Footy Show to publicly vilify gays and lesbians. In my view probably the best way is we need more visablily on television, really the only male same-sex couple thats ever been on Australian public free to air tv was the gay couple in Number 96 which was screened in the early 1970’s and its now 2009 and since then there’s been virtually no visability of a realistic male same-sex couple. Its one thing to have the Sydney Convicts on the Footy Show and say thats great visability but we NEED more than that, we need on going visability on tv so we can attempt to change perception of homosexuality so then there’s less gay vilification in public and on the Footy Show.
Ben – “OMG the Footy Show’s producer is also Gary Burns!!”
Ben, Its not the same person.
Good on you Convicts for doing this. We all lead busy lives and I really appreciate the time and energy you are putting into do this. Good luck
What an excellent idea!!!! I only hope that the NRL can completly clean-up, shape-up and reform their codes, pratices and make the NRL popular again.
The reason why the convicts would be great on the show is because they are sporting stars of the gay community. I would rather have a community sporting figure on the show representing us rather than one individual who probably has never played sports in his life let alone contact.
Great idea, guys. The more you expose peabrains like the Footy Show mob to real gay people, the more difficult it is for them to make their demeaning jokes without looking ridiculous.
I know it’s tempting to dismiss them as dickheads, but talking to the dickheads is a much more effective way of dealing with their prejudices.
Please get the Footy Show off the air. Its vulgar and has no taste.
Anyway the one good thing that has come out of Gary Burns lodging a complaint against the Footy Show is the apearance of the Sydney Convicts on the show, if Gary Burns had not of lodged a complaint it is questionable if the show would have chosen to feature the Sydney Convicts.
Go the Convicts!
Allowing middle Australia to see gay footy players on TV will do more to break down homophobic fear and ignorance than any number of lawsuits.
OMG the Footy Show’s producer is also Gary Burns!!
Having spent many years as a kid watching the footy show as part of our family’s weekly ritual, laughing at some of the material… and inwardly dying at others, I wish that there had been an opportunity to see more gay footballers out and proud. If the appearance of these guys gets a positive message to at least one other young person out there struggling with thier identity, or a parent trying to understand thier gay/lesbian child, then I think it’s a good thing… and a positive affect that will last longer than the nasty taint of homophobia from a poorly thought out, ignorant skit.
Anything that gets a gay issue to a new audience is a good thing. People will only start to realise that gay people aren’t “freaks” if they get to see men just like them, who are gay, doing the same things they do.
The Sydney Convicts have been doing this in the rugby community for years and straight opposition teams and supporters accept them as equals and nothing to be feared or ridiculed. It’s little wonder though as they’ve won more trophies than most str8 teams dream of.
Its great they are willing to put themselves out there again, this time in the league community, which we all know has a long way to go. Hopefully in time there will be a gay league team playing and eventually no need for a separate team at all. But you have to make a start somewhere.
Well done Convicts for being the face of gay men in sport and keeping the straight community thinking. It’s ignorance that breeds intolerance, not collabortation.
I think this is a great idea for the team to do this. There is no question that these guys at the Footy Show should be held legally accountable for the skit so I’m glad the gay activist is still pushing forward with the legal action and hasn’t given up.
But a lawsuit won’t send a message to the kids at home that there is nothing wrong with them.
Seeing the convicts on the TV standing up to the show for its stupid and harmful joke will make those kids feel better about themselves.
Good on the convicts for doing this. I hope it helps kids watching the show. I know I’ll be watching!
Good on the Convicts. Well done for tackling the issue head on. At least those who saw the skit will get to see that there are real gay footballers out there and being accepted by the gay and straight community. What a great message.
Interesting that the Star *finally* starts to report on the Footy Show/gay skit story weeks after everywhere else (including every mainstream newspaper in this country) does. Of course it takes the involvement of their beloved Convicts – one of whom writes for the Star – to do so. Such integrity, SSO.
Editor’s note: No member of any Convicts team writes for SSO. It should also be pointed out the email address supplied by this writer is in fact fake.
Sydney Convicts =Collaborators.
This is a great idea. I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate to everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, that sport is meant to be for everyone.
As far as the Gary Burns legal action goes, that case will be decided on its merits and through due process.
Which would you rather have, a court win that provides a one off payment of a handful of dollars, or an appearance by the convicts that went off like a rocket and got them invited back ?
The only reason The Footy Show is letting the Sydney Convicts on the show is to weaken Gary Burns legal suit. Now the Footy Show will continue there homophobia and claim they are not homophobic because they once had a gay rugby team on the show. Bad decision by the Sydney Convicts rugby team.