Gay Rugby- A step forward or a step backward

JDLK

This isnt a sport thread per se.

I was just watching a programme on a Northern Irish rugby team called the Ulster Titans, which are apparantly Irelands first "gay friendly" rugby team. Fair play to them and all and on the surface it looks like social progress but then I wonder is it actually an exercise in segregation (albeit aesthetic)

Other things Ive noticed like this would be the 'MOBO' awards (music of black origin)- again at first you think fair play but then isnt it just reinforcing the racial divide? Would we be as comfortable with the MOWO awards.

What would the reaction be to "Irelands first black-friendly rugby team"?

Marginalised racial and social groups inspirationally lead the way for social integration and equality but has that lead to a kind of reverse or double standard. I consider myself quite liberal but surely there must be something still "unequal" if our current rugby teams are not seen as "gay friendly"

What do you think?

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/the-ulster-titans-northern-irelandrsquos-first-gay-friendly-rugby-team-13961109.html

(if this is in the wrong forum please move thanks)

Tchaikovsky

Rugby has always been gay.

Kinetic^

It's an absolute joke that a team has to be gay friendly. Why can't anyone play on any team? Retards who won't accept people because of their sexuality? Are their teams out there just for white people? :rolleyes: Shows how accepting the rugby teams are.

AlmightyCushion

Gay rugby is a terrible idea. The scrums will just turn into a big pile of man love. Seriously though, I do find it funny that if someone set up a strictly no gays rugby club or whites only awards ceremony that there would probably be uproar.

anonymous_joe

Rugby's not as bad as a lot of sports when it comes to tolerating (awful word to use) homosexuals. One of the leading ref's is gay and it's never been a big deal.

There's a gay team in Dublin because a mate of mine played 'em in J4's or J3's I think.

jill_valentine

Hang on, the Emerald Warriors have been on the go for a while before now, haven't they?

http://ewrfc.ie/

Darragh29

Here's a pic of their first match...

anonymous_joe

jill_valentine wrote: »

Hang on, the Emerald Warriors have been on the go for a while before now, haven't they?

http://ewrfc.ie/

This is an Ulster team. Was a documentary on telly about it I think.

Mr. Incognito

No point having your head up your arse about it.

They can go stick that team up their holes.

Gauge

JDLK wrote: »

Would we be as comfortable with the MOWO awards.

They're called the CMA Awards.

Donald-Duck

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Rugby's not as bad as a lot of sports when it comes to tolerating (awful word to use) homosexuals. One of the leading ref's is gay and it's never been a big deal. .

Guys its ok to be racist, I have a black friend

anonymous_joe

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Guys its ok to be racist, I have a black friend

Contrast it to professional football.

Sharpshooter

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Guys its ok to be racist, I have a black friend

His name's not Daffy by any chance?

Fizman

Straight rugby is mucky enough.

Imagine this? :eek:

javaboy

sharpshooterH wrote: »

His name's not Daffy by any chance?

Actually Donald and Daffy hate each other:

jill_valentine

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Seriously though, I do find it funny that if someone set up a strictly no gays rugby club or whites only awards ceremony that there would probably be uproar.

The team is "Gay Friendly", not "Gay Only". The distinction's important...

And I mean, you join a "regular" rugby team, there's a social element in it. You wanna hang out with people you've got stuff in common - liking rugby for instance. And you've got the luxury of assuming that everybody's got at least one other interest in common too, ie, sexing up girls.

These dudes just want to hang out with other dudes who share their common interests, ie Rugby.

And also, sexing up dudes.

Contrary to popular belief, the two things don't necessarily happen at the exactly same time.

No. No, that would be a recipe for disaster.

AlmightyCushion

Gauge wrote: »

They're called the CMA Awards.

Is that award not for the gays.

Sharpshooter

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Guys its ok to be racist, I have a black friend

sharpshooterH wrote: »

His name's not Daffy by any chance?

javaboy wrote: »

Actually Donald and Daffy hate each other:

Pfft , foreplay.



This is not a pun

IvySlayer

Imagine the showers....

dSTAR

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Rugby's not as bad as a lot of sports when it comes to tolerating (awful word to use) homosexuals.

What are you talking about?

Cricket is a fags game.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Kinetic^ wrote: »

It's an absolute joke that a team has to be gay friendly. Why can't anyone play on any team? Retards who won't accept people because of their sexuality? Are their teams out there just for white people? :rolleyes: Shows how accepting the rugby teams are.

You know the talbot hotel was the first official "gay" hotel in Ireland... WTF? How can a hotel be gay or not. Do they supply free mini packets of lube? Condoms? S&M outfits? A team should be a team, not a "gay friendly" team. Jesus...

jill_valentine

*Slaps forehead.

tony1kenobi

Gay Rugby- A step forward or a step backward

Givers-Step forward

Recievers-Step backward

Nehaxak

Why does it have to be gay friendly or a gay rugby team at all ? As someone else said, can it not just be a rugby team and that's it ?

Never played rugby but I'm thinking maybe when they're all in the showers afterwards and someone is gay, they might get a boner and be embarrassed or get some digs for getting all hard for the team ?
Whereas if it's a gay friendly team all that kinda carry-on is permitted and it's no problem if you get a boner for your teammate in the showers ?

Or does it mean you let girls play on the team as well ? Isn't that what tag rugby is for ?

Maybe there's a lot of homophobia going on in rugby in general and gay people don't feel wanted or accepted ?

I'm not gay so I don't understand this at all, can't understand why it has to be a gay or gay friendly team in the first place.

Reflector

guys,
how many openly gay sports people are there??? Therefore this is a reason for these teams to be out there. It's also a social outlet for people who want to meet people outside of the bars. There is also gay Running clubs, gay Soccer, rowing. I don't see what the big deal is.
You could easily play for another team but then the social side wouldn't be as appealing.There are gay guys on all teams around Ireland but I bet the majority keep it to themselves. The clubs might be predominantly gay but straight guys are free to join and on some of the older more established equivalents in other cities they do have quite a few straight guys on their teams.

DubArk

Nehaxak wrote: »

Why does it have to be gay friendly or a gay rugby team at all ? As someone else said, can it not just be a rugby team and that's it ?

Here's your answer!!! If the "N" word was used refering to blacks would people object??

Just a thought.

dSTAR wrote: »

What are you talking about?

Cricket is a fags game.

stovelid

Surely they mean gayer rugby.

javaboy

Reflector wrote: »

guys,
how many openly gay sports people are there??? Therefore this is a reason for these teams to be out there. It's also a social outlet for people who want to meet people outside of the bars. There is also gay Running clubs, gay Soccer, rowing. I don't see what the big deal is.
You could easily play for another team but then the social side wouldn't be as appealing.There are gay guys on all teams around Ireland but I bet the majority keep it to themselves. The clubs might be predominantly gay but straight guys are free to join and on some of the older more established equivalents in other cities they do have quite a few straight guys on their teams.

When you put it like that it does sound like a practical sensible idea. Ideally at some point down the line they could drop the "gay friendly" tag as it would be no longer necessary.

Dragan

Remember, it perfectly fine to discriminate against someone once they are white, male and straight.

javaboy

Dragan wrote: »

Remember, it perfectly fine to discriminate against someone once they are white, male and straight.

In fairness, it is our fault.

Dragan

javaboy wrote: »

In fairness, it is our fault.

What, for being awesome?

I know i am awesome, you're pretty ****ing awesome, how do you explain the rest of them?

4zn76tysfajdxp

All rugby is a step backwards.

ejmaztec

Gay Rugby's a bummer!

ShooterSF

Bunch of men stickin their heads up each others ass reaching for balls. Hmm can't see the gays being interested.
The question I have is will there be pressure on them now to have gay players in their team and if so could a better straight player be kept out of the team? Would that be discrimination on sexual preferences then?
It's a real minefield when you do things like this.

ShagNastii

I think people being defined by their sexually is a load of bollix!!!

We're queer and we're here. Well done. I thinking of starting a hetrosexual rugby team shock horror shock horror.

Reflector

javaboy wrote: »

Ideally at some point down the line they could drop the "gay friendly" tag as it would be no longer necessary.

yeah that's what one would hope

javaboy

ShagNastii wrote: »

I think people being defined by their sexually is a load of bollix!!!

We're queer and we're here. Well done. I thinking of starting a hetrosexual rugby team shock horror shock horror.

If you actually read what it's about you'll see it's not a "we're here and we're queer" thing at all. It's just basically a rugby club open to anybody where the social scene (which is a huge part of rugby) is gay-friendly. You don't have to be gay to join but basically if you are, you won't be excluded or feel sidelined like you might at other clubs.

It obviously grew out of a feeling of exclusion gay rugby players experienced at other clubs. It's no harm really. It might sound like a bit of a gimmick to us straight white males but I can see the practical side of it.

oztots

Im worried about gay mma, thats a real worrying thought.

Also i believe more women should get involved in mma, or at least BJJ, its a gentle sport.

ven0m

Gay rugby or 'pro-gay' organisations should be outlawed.

If I were to advertise a rugby team as 'hetrosexual rugby', I'd be done for descrimination & there'd be outrage. If I decided that perhaps one day a year I'd like a Hetrosexual pride parade, I'd be laughed down, told to eff off & go away.

Either you want equality or you don't, this isn't a have-your-cake-and-eat-it thing; either equality exists or it doesn't.

javaboy

ven0m wrote: »

Gay rugby or 'pro-gay' organisations should be outlawed.

If I were to advertise a rugby team as 'hetrosexual rugby', I'd be done for descrimination & there'd be outrage. If I decided that perhaps one day a year I'd like a Hetrosexual pride parade, I'd be laughed down, told to eff off & go away.

Either you want equality or you don't, this isn't a have-your-cake-and-eat-it thing.

In fairness it's not one of those positive discrimination things where gay people are given preference over straight people. It's more like a building that has lifts and ramps and wheelchair accessible toilets advertising that fact.

There's obviously an issue with sporting organisations where some gay people feel left out. That will slowly change without any gay-friendly clubs but in the mean time there's a whole load of gay people who'd like to play rugby without having to pretend to be something they're not in order to fit in. I can't see the harm in it and that's from someone who hates the idea of positive discrimination.

oztots

By the looks of it a gay friendly club is a step forwards. What isnt a step towards equality is black only clubs, women only clubs and gyms and everything else that wont let me in.

I wanted to get into curves cos the adds had some stunners in it, not allowed.
Women want to play golf, they whine until they're let.

If you're allowed into my space, im allowed in yours. Or is equality weighted?

4zn76tysfajdxp

oztots wrote: »

By the looks of it a gay friendly club is a step forwards. What isnt a step towards equality is black only clubs, women only clubs and gyms and everything else that wont let me in.

I wanted to get into curves cos the adds had some stunners in it, not allowed.
Women want to play golf, they whine until they're let.

If you're allowed into my space, im allowed in yours. Or is equality weighted?

You are if you're going to Curves.

ven0m

javaboy wrote: »

In fairness it's not one of those positive discrimination things where gay people are given preference over straight people. It's more like a building that has lifts and ramps and wheelchair accessible toilets advertising that fact.

There's obviously an issue with sporting organisations where some gay people feel left out. That will slowly change without any gay-friendly clubs but in the mean time there's a whole load of gay people who'd like to play rugby without having to pretend to be something they're not in order to fit in. I can't see the harm in it and that's from someone who hates the idea of positive discrimination.

Are people not allowed to be 'proud' of their hetrosexuality, or is 'pride' only reserved for those who feel the need to keep telling us they are 'marginalised'?

I don't care who does what to who or when or how as long as it's all above board, legal & consenting. But I am sick of having this 'pride' malarky shoved down my throat. I am a proud white hetrosexual male, I should be able along with other similar people celebrate that without someone going 'Oi, you're making some people feel marginalised'.

Chris Rock was right - reverse racism & descrimination is worse & rife.

javaboy

ven0m wrote: »

Are people not allowed to be 'proud' of their hetrosexuality, or is 'pride' only reserved for those who feel the need to keep telling us they are 'marginalised'?

Who is stopping you being proud of your hetereosexuality? Not me and certainly not some gay-friendly rugby club.

I don't care who does what to who or when or how as long as it's all above board, legal & consenting. But I am sick of having this 'pride' malarky shoved down my throat. I am a proud white hetrosexual male, I should be able along with other similar people celebrate that without someone going 'Oi, you're making some people feel marginalised'.

Again who is stopping you? They're not saying all other clubs have to stop being the way they are. They are simply saying, "We accept that a lot of the social scene around sport is hetero-based. That's not going to change for the majority of clubs any time soon so we'll just set up our own club where gay people can feel a little more accepted."

Chris Rock was right - reverse racism & descrimination is worse & rife.

Yes and he's right. But this is not a case of racism/discrimination reverse or otherwise. There's nothing stopping a straight guy joining the team.

Gauge

Yay, another After Hours thread about how it's just so hard to be a white heterosexual male

ven0m

javaboy wrote: »

Who is stopping you being proud of your hetereosexuality? Not me and certainly not some gay-friendly rugby club.



Again who is stopping you? They're not saying all other clubs have to stop being the way they are. They are simply saying, "We accept that a lot of the social scene around sport is hetero-based. That's not going to change for the majority of clubs any time soon so we'll just set up our own club where gay people can feel a little more accepted."



Yes and he's right. But this is not a case of racism/discrimination reverse or otherwise. There's nothing stopping a straight guy joining the team.

You're missing the point. Equality is not a case of forty shades of grey'. it is absolute in the eyes of the law, so there should be no reason to allow these clubs or associations advertise on that basis. That's the crux of my argument; You can't say as a group you want equality, then use a form of reverse discrimination, the same as you can't advertise something as 'catholic friendly', or as 'Asian Friendly' or whatever.

The law is very clearcut, & this kind of malarky needs to be stamped out, especially if the 'marginalized' people claim they want equality. Does it matter if people are gay or not, no. It's immaterial, so why advertise it, promote it or purport it?

ven0m

Gauge wrote: »

Yay, another After Hours thread about how it's just so hard to be a white heterosexual male

You're a woman, you wouldn't know.

ShooterSF

Gauge wrote: »

Yay, another After Hours thread about how it's just so hard to be a white heterosexual male

Hey it's tough. If people don't like us we have to believe it's our personality. We dont have the race card to hide behind

Reflector

ven0m wrote: »

Gay rugby or 'pro-gay' organisations should be outlawed.

If I were to advertise a rugby team as 'hetrosexual rugby', I'd be done for descrimination & there'd be outrage. If I decided that perhaps one day a year I'd like a Hetrosexual pride parade, I'd be laughed down, told to eff off & go away.

You're missing the point ven0m, it's not advertised as a gay rugby team but a team where gay/straight/bi men can play rugby together. It is a social outlet as well and we do not discriminate and the coaching staff are straight men and straight men have played for the team as well.

ven0m wrote: »

Either you want equality or you don't, this isn't a have-your-cake-and-eat-it thing; either equality exists or it doesn't.

If you think that Gays have equality here in Ireland you are very naive, it is better than before which is the reason that a team like this can exist but it certainly isn't equal yet.

ShagNastii

Reflector wrote: »

You're missing the point ven0m, it's not advertised as a gay rugby team but a team where gay/straight/bi men can play rugby together. It is a social outlet as well and we do not discriminate and the coaching staff are straight men and straight men have played for the team as well.

That is pretty much every sporting team in the country. Upon joining a rugby team/GAA team/Martial Art you don't fill in a form which ask are you gay? And excludes you if you tick the box

Reflector

ven0m wrote: »

Gay rugby or 'pro-gay' organisations should be outlawed.
Either you want equality or you don't, this isn't a have-your-cake-and-eat-it thing; either equality exists or it doesn't.

just want to highlight this statement again