I have invited AJAX Football Club to join the “No to Homophobia” campaign.
From: Michael Barnett <mikeybear69@gmail.com>
Date: 9 September 2012 10:09
Subject: Asking for AJAX Football Club to support AFL’s “No to Homophobia” campaign
To: Ian Fayman <ianfayman@yahoo.com.au>, Ronnie Lewis <rlewis@matchexecutive.com.au>, Mark Feldy <mfeldy@bigpond.net.au>, Peter Kagan <pkagan@bigpond.net.au>, Michael Sojka <msojka@rosepartners.com.au>, Bernie Sheehy <bernard@sheehysaw.com.au>, Darren Seidl <DSeidl@rk.com.au>, Gary Blusztein <bblusztein@bigpond.net.au>, Gary Blieden <bliedz@hotmail.com>, John Rochman <johnrochman@gmail.com>, Adam Slade-Jacobson <asladejacobson@qualitas.com.au>
Cc: Jason Ball <jasonball8888@gmail.com>, Rob Mitchell <rmitchell@rjm.it>
I am writing to ask for your club to support “No to Homophobia”. Please read this story in The Age and consider distributing it, along with the associated petition, to the members of your club.
In addition, please consider issuing a statement of support from the AJAX Football Club. It would send a strong message and support your clubs aims:
Ajax will assist in the development and improvement of its members, not only by requiring and facilitating the highest standard of physical fitness and skills associated with Australian Rules Football-but also general aspects of life and community to further their careers.
AJAX shall strive to achieve the most successful onfield team performances at all levels whilst maintaining its unique Jewish identity.
I have copied Jason Ball on this email. He would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Additionally I have included Rob Mitchell, who has a close connection to the AFL and takes a keen interest in these matters.
Lastly, I’d like you to read this blog I wrote after meeting Olympian Daniel Kowaslki:
I urge you to bring this matter up with Maccabi Victoria at your earliest convenience, as it is in the best interests of the welfare of all members of AJAX FC and Maccabi Victoria.
John Searle and Keshet Australia must reach out to Maccabi Victoria and help them fly their rainbow colours. It may just help someone achieve their Olympic dreams
Daniel Kowalski, Mikey & Gregory at Goldman Sachs; August 2 2012
Daniel described his journey from being a somewhat chubby kid in South Australia, a place not known for its swimming heroes, to becoming a silver and bronze medallist in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games in swimming.
Part of Daniel’s story revolved around how he found he lacked a degree of confidence and that something was holding him back from reaching his full potential. He said that at the time he wasn’t fully certain what it was. As the years went by he realised he was hiding his sexuality and this was having an impact on him.
Daniel Kowalski said he felt that if he had been comfortable with his sexuality he would have been able to stand up proud on the starting block, with a sense of confidence, and put in a far better effort. He believes it may have helped him win gold instead of silver or bronze.
What’s especially exciting about Keshet bringing on board John Searle is that through his strong connections in the Jewish community and his involvement in the VEOHRC it places him in a unique position of being able to access and influence a significant number of organisations and people in the Jewish community about the need for a greater understanding of why discrimination against homosexuality is harmful.
On May 17 2012 the VEOHRC issued a media release in which it stated:
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission unequivocally stands against homophobia in all its forms and today reaffirmed its support for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).
As the agency responsible for promoting and protecting human rights in Victoria, the Commission sees the harmful effects that discrimination and inequality have on people and the hurt and damage caused by prejudice, vilification and damaging stereotypes.
Almost a year and a half earlier, in January 2011, the VEOHRC issued another media release on the Fair Go, Sport! initiative in which it said:
At its best, sport is a great way of keeping fit, healthy and socially connected. However, recent research highlights that sport can also be very unhealthy for gay, lesbian, bi‐sexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) people, many of whom have experienced discrimination and abuse in sports club environments.
Come Out To Play (2010), a survey of 307 lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender Victorians, showed that 42 per cent of respondents had experienced verbal abuse because of their sexuality while playing sport.
It’s evident that the VEOHRC is taking discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in sport seriously and is building bridges in the sporting community to help raise awareness of the harms of this discrimination.
The logical progression here, and perhaps the pink elephant on the sporting field, is to get the Jewish community’s sporting association, Maccabi Victoria, involved. That’s where John Searle fits in perfectly, because as a person who is passionate about human rights, equal opportunities, removing discrimination and “educating our Jewish community on GLBTI issues”, all he needs to do is reach out to the team at Maccabi and show them how the VEOHRC, through Fair Go, Sport!, is benefiting the Victorian sporting community.
Maccabi Victoria itself is well placed to take adopt this sort of education, as it lists amongst its values: tolerance, healthy & positive lifestyles, strong community connections, achievement in sport and participation by all. My earlier message about Daniel Kowalski exemplifies how a sporting community supportive of diverse sexual orientations would have assisted him in all of the same areas that Maccabi takes seriously.
I urge John Searle, together with Keshet Australia, to reach out to Maccabi Victoria and help them fly their rainbow colours for a stronger and healthier sporting community. Who knows, it may just help someone achieve their Olympic dreams.
