Rugby star says sorry after homophobic outburst on Twitter

WindSock

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/rugby-star-says-sorry-after-homophobic-outburst-on-twitter-2059045.html

A WELSH international rugby player was last night forced to apologise after posting a homophobic comment on the social networking website Twitter, just two months after his Wales team-mate Gareth Thomas became the first professional rugby player in Britain to reveal that he was gay.
Lock forward Jonathan Thomas, 27, who has 51 caps for Wales and is set to play in the second row against Scotland in the Six Nations in Cardiff on Saturday, wrote the offensive remarks during an exchange on Twitter yesterday morning with Ian Evans, one of his team-mates at the Welsh club Ospreys.

Evans wrote: "Legs and ass are in bits, can't move." Thomas posted in reply: "U gotta stop hanging round with Nigel Owens!" [a top Welsh referee who came out in 2007]. Evans then made an apology of sorts on behalf of Thomas: "For those ppl [people] who got the wrong end of the stick... it was from our savage training day yesterday, sorry about my friend fellow ppl."

In his autobiography, Half Time, Mr Owens revealed that he had tried to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills as he struggled to come to terms with his sexuality when he was a young man. He has since said he has experienced no discrimination during his time as a rugby referee.
Yesterday, he told The Independent that he knew both players well and could see "nothing malicious" in what Thomas had written. However, he said he would call him "to find out what he was on about".
"It's probably just tongue-in-cheek, something they said without thinking about it," he said. "If it had been other players that I didn't know so well then maybe I might think, 'Hang on a minute', but with those two there's definitely no issues."

Thomas's comments come at a time when homophobia in British sport is under intense scrutiny. Only this week, the FA provoked anger by delaying the screening of a film designed to highlight and discourage homophobic chanting and insults by football supporters.
In December, the former Welsh captain Gareth Thomas revealed he was gay in a newspaper interview. His agent said he did not wish to comment on the incident because he felt it had merely been "good-natured banter" between the two players.

The posts were deleted from Twitter shortly after The Independent contacted the Welsh Rugby Union last night. In a statement, Jonathan Thomas said: "Nigel is a great friend of mine and there is absolutely no way I would say anything to him or about him publicly - or indeed privately - which I thought he would find personally offensive. There is no malicious intent in this message whatsoever. This was some childish banter between friends and I did not think for a moment that there may be other people out there reading it and/or taking it in the wrong way.

"I made a very silly comment to something else that was written, but nevertheless, I would like to apologise to anyone who is or was offended by it. I have spoken to Nigel this afternoon and, as I knew at the time of writing, he is not offended and he remains a very good friend. I have now removed the offending comment and will be much more conscious of distinguishing between private jokes and what can be said in a public forum in future."
Gay-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "Homophobic tweets are just as unacceptable as similar outbursts on blogs and message boards. This is not what we would expect from players such as Jonathan Thomas. These remarks are particularly disappointing as they come just weeks after Jonathan's former international team-mate Gareth Thomas came out to such public acclaim and admiration.

"Many of us expected and hoped that this was a turning point and that Welsh rugby could kiss goodbye to homophobia. Sadly, Jonathan's proved us wrong."

Is that what Homophobia is now? Or has it always been?

Spore

Rugby is ghey

Cookie_Monster

sounds like a witty comment to me

obviously a slow news day

mike65

A light hearted quip, nothing more.

Bloody twitter and bloody media obsession with same. :mad:

amcalester

Seems harmless to me, if the person names doesnt get offended then that should be the end of it.

Theres far too many people willing to get offended on behalf of someone else anyways.

Pepe LeFrits

He should have told the Gay rights campaigner to shut the **** up. Tossers distracting attention from real issues with nonsense ones.

Gone Drinking

This is so PC that it deserves to be in the phobias forum

Sheeps

How is this newsworthy? *Shocker* A slightly homophobic comment made on the internet.
I've never even heard of the rugby player.

stovelid

Overreaction imo.

The Walsho

"And I'm not homophobic, all right? Come round, look at my CDs. You'll see Queen, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys. They're all bummers."

blinding

If this was April fools day and I noted the players name as Jonathan Thomas then I might think someone was having me on.

Jonathan Thomas should keep his head down for a while.

Pompey Magnus

blinding wrote: »

If this was April fools day and I noted the players name as Jonathan Thomas then I might think someone was having me on.

Jonathan Thomas should keep his head down for a while.

I didn't even notice that, good spot

Menengroth™

at this rate comedians will soon be banned for touching on anything non-PC.

bonerm

Does that country only have about six surnames between the lot of em?

LittleBook

Evans: "Legs and ass are in bits, can't move."
Thomas: "U gotta stop hanging round with Nigel Owens!"
Evans: "For those ppl who got the wrong end of the stick... it was from our savage training day yesterday, sorry about my friend fellow ppl."

If anything, Evans' "as if" type response and apology sounds more homophobic than Thomas' quip.

Not that there's anything homophobic about any of it.

General Zod

Menengroth™ wrote: »

at this rate comedians will soon be banned for touching on anything non-PC.

That's not going to happen, dispite how much you want it to so you can have a pop at the "PC brigade". this is nothing but the media whipping up nonsense on a slow news day.

GavRedKing

Must be a very very slow news day.

All parties involved seem to understand there was nothing harmful meant by it and everybody is ok with the explanation.

Get over it ya PC fucks.

AnonoBoy

bonerm wrote: »

Does that country only have about six surnames between the lot of em?

Yes. They have to share on public holidays. Very confusing inbred place.


Whoops! Hope the media don't get hold of that anti-Welsh comment or I'll be as f*cked as a sheep's arse in the Highlands!

Oh no! Now the Scots are gonna be pissed off at me. They'll be madder than an Israeli at a sausage festival!

Yikes! How anti-semetic of me! I've put my foot in it again! This whole PC business is tough to keep track of. I'm sweating so bad I'm as smelly as a Frenchman.

Oh Jesus I did it again!

Ah no! Now I've blasphemed too!

Will this ever end????? :eek:


Yours etc. etc.,

AnonoBoy

bonerm

Menengroth™ wrote: »

at this rate comedians will soon be banned for touching on anything non-PC.

Bummers will still be able to make jokes about bummers. The rest of us will all be censored.

For example, I'll tell a joke. "I know this guy who's so queer that...." ... wait a minute, that shouldn't have worked?

epgc3fyqirnbsx

I think there's more of an anti-PC feeling today
At last people seeing sense

dvpower

Spore wrote: »

Rugby is ghey

Apologise immediately for that homophobic outburst.

hobochris

why is this even news?

It was clearly a joke with no harmful intent.

In other NEWs

Pherekydes

AnonoBoy wrote: »

...anti-Welsh comment...

...Scots...

...anti-semetic of me!

...as smelly as a Frenchman.

Ah no! Now I've blasphemed too!

No English or Irish jokes?

Bullying by omission. :rolleyes:

disneyonfire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp6c4jCvtBI

Professey Chin

Hi mountain, im a molehill.

Also OT: But im noticing a certain javaboy in this thread.Havnt seen him in a while!

walshb

It was a little risky when you think of it. Owen's himself was quick
to defend Thomas.Thomas shouldn't have came out with
the remark.

Sir Gallagher

General Zod wrote: »

That's not going to happen, dispite how much you want it to so you can have a pop at the "PC brigade". this is nothing but the media whipping up nonsense on a slow news day.

+1

Spot on, I think the "anti PC brigade" get even quicker to get offended than the actual "PC brigade".

There's more people in here slating "political correctness" than people who've even said the comment was wrong, you have to laugh.

Giselle

Whether or not it could be considered homophobic aside, it certainly can't be called an ''Outburst''!

aDeener

walshb wrote: »

It was a little risky when you think of it. Owen's himself was quick
to defend Thomas.Thomas shouldn't have came out with
the remark.

why not? it was hilarious

Red_Marauder

aDeener wrote: »

why not? it was hilarious

not quite hilarious, pretty un-imaginative, could have been much funnier
Either way, definitely nothing offensive about it, slow news day...

walshb

aDeener wrote: »

why not? it was hilarious

It just came across as a bit cheap. Why make it at all. These lads must know that Twitter
and these sites are monitored. He made a wise crack about the man on the ****ing internet, it wasn't some quip he made that was overheard in some pub. It was just too public.

AckwelFoley

****ing nonsence

bonerm

Frankly the players comments are an example of the sort of latent homophobia that can only be bred from a profession that involves having your face pressed up against another mans arse for hours on end.

AckwelFoley

bonerm wrote: »

Frankly the players comments are an example of the sort of latent homophobia that can only be bred from a profession that involves having your face pressed up against another mans arse for hours on end.

dont know whatsport you play, but there is no face to arse contact in rugby.

There is a reach under, so yes it is likely that a forearm could touch a gouch, but whats the glance of a gouch among friends

bonerm

snyper wrote: »

dont know whatsport you play, but there is no face to arse contact in rugby.

There is a reach under, so yes it is likely that a forearm could touch a gouch, but whats the glance of a gouch among friends

Ah well, next best thing. Great fun for all involved I'm sure.

DogmaticLefty

I think man humping is rather funny.

Joke about it all the time. Kids even joke about it in the school yard.

AckwelFoley

bonerm wrote: »

Ah well, next best thing. Great fun for all involved I'm sure.

If you like sport yes.

narwog81

snyper wrote: »

dont know whatsport you play, but there is no face to arse contact in rugby.

There is a reach under, so yes it is likely that a forearm could touch a gouch, but whats the glance of a gouch among friends

what sport do you play?

2nd rows binding at scrum time, all the back row at scrums make face to ass contact.

i remember being taught how to tackle at underage with the phrase "cheek to cheek" being used. making contact with your face to the opponents ass was specifically drilled as tackling with the head in front of the opponents body is dangerous.

anyone that thinks that is ghey should tell jamie heaslip that:D

ctrl-alt-delete

Homophobic my arse.....

no wait.

AckwelFoley

narwog81 wrote: »

what sport do you play?

2nd rows binding at scrum time, all the back row at scrums make face to ass contact.

i remember being taught how to tackle at underage with the phrase "cheek to cheek" being used. making contact with your face to the opponents ass was specifically drilled as tackling with the head in front of the opponents body is dangerous.

anyone that thinks that is ghey should tell jamie heaslip that:D

(0) < - thats an ass with associated asshole

(0) (0) (0) < - Them there be 3 ass's with arsehole attached

The second row's place their heads between the body of ass 1 and 2 and ass 2 and 3 respectively. Shoulders touch ass... faces do not touch ass.

Ive played for 15 years. Never have i stuck my face in another mans ass... without him atleast buying me dinner and a cheap wine first

narwog81

snyper wrote: »

(0) < - thats an ass with associated asshole

(0) (0) (0) < - Them there be 3 ass's with arsehole attached

The second row's place their heads between the body of ass 1 and 2 and ass 2 and 3 respectively. Shoulders touch ass... faces do not touch ass.

Ive played for 15 years. Never have i stuck my face in another mans ass... without him atleast buying me dinner and a cheap wine first

did they let you play often in those 15 years?

because if you've never made contact with someone's ass while tackilng you cant be very good at it....

sky88

this is a fairly rubbish story

Evan93

We aren't allowed say what we want now without any consequences? Ha

DB10

Evan93 wrote: »

We aren't allowed what we want now without any consequences? Ha

Why what do you want, big boy?

Choke

As a general rule, if the media have to run all the way to Peter Thatchell to find an offended gay man, you're probably doing ok.

Terry

Everyone calm down.
He apologised.

I don't quite get why he apologised, but he did so anyway.

AckwelFoley

narwog81 wrote: »

did they let you play often in those 15 years?

because if you've never made contact with someone's ass while tackilng you cant be very good at it....

That Brian with his cheek on a mans hip


This is a head in an ass

Joe Cool

Menengroth™ wrote: »

at this rate comedians will soon be banned for touching on anything non-PC.

That's exactly what Bill Gates wants.

Son Of A Vidic

What is all the fuss about? it was only a joke ffs. Are jokes off the 'menu' now also?

Bazzy

the thank whores ignored the op AH is broken it must be getting good again