Andrew webster

[Cumberland Throw]

I've never seen wierdly with a girl either

 

[The Voice of Reason!]

Brave front page piece yesterday.

As for the player tweet that he referred to... Let's be honest, there's more than one homophobic comment made on this very site (especially regarding AFL). I am comfortable for someone to call a spade a spade and wipe that nonsense out.

And as for (former Justice) Kirby... one of Australia's quality people. We've been lucky to have him.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[Perth Red]

Brave piece from Webster.

I can't agree with his criticism of the knights and NRL though.


Employers have no place in regulating religious points of view.

As Webster says if stig had been critical of other groups they would have come down on him like a ton of bricks. Gay bashing is the final domain of religious zealots, they can no longer subjugate women or non white people, all that is left for them to vent their hypocritical Christian values at are homosexuals. Hopefully that will soon be considered as disgusting as racism.

 

[herbert henry1908]

As Webster says if stig had been critical of other groups they would have come down on him like a ton of bricks. Gay bashing is the final domain of religious zealots, they can no longer subjugate women or non white people, all that is left for them to vent their hypocritical Christian values at are homosexuals. Hopefully that will soon be considered as disgusting as racism.

And an employer punishing someone for their religious views is very dangerous territory.

I doubt it's even legal for them to do so. There would be legal challenges coming from everywhere, massive minefield.

Much better the criticism come from the general public.

 

[Perth Red]

Yeh right, like I am sure f my religion suggested it was ok to declare war on non believers it would be tolerated under freedom of speech, oh hang on. I'm pretty sure most religions have various bigoted beliefs written in them about a variety of groups seen as "not normal" to these narrow minded buffoons. Doesn't give you the right to then use the scriptures of that religion to vilify said group. In thirty years people will look back and wonder how homophobia could have ever been tolerated in the same way we look back at racism, sexism, nazism, slaves and all the other forms of human subjugation that have gone on since time immoral

 

[herbert henry1908]

Yeh right, like I am sure f my religion suggested it was ok to declare war on non believers it would be tolerated under freedom of speech, oh hang on. I'm pretty sure most religions have various bigoted beliefs written in them about a variety of groups seen as "not normal" to these narrow minded buffoons. Doesn't give you the right to then use the scriptures of that religion to vilify said group. In thirty years people will look back and wonder how homophobia could have ever been tolerated in the same way we look back at racism, sexism, nazism, slaves and all the other forms of human subjugation that have gone on since time immoral

You've gone off the rails. Declaring war isn't a type of freedom of speech.


Like it or not his views were religious. No employer is going to get involved in regulating or punishing someone for religious views.


Your beef is with the religions and that's fair enough. But to ask the NRL to get involved in this is ridiculous.

 

[The Voice of Reason!]

Like it or not his views were religious. No employer is going to get involved in regulating or punishing someone for religious views.

Tell that to any teacher who has been sacked by a church-run school (whatever denomination) for different lifestyle/religious opinions. There are plenty.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Whether he has a message or not Webster, like so many journos these days, makes the mistake of thinking he is worthy of a story.

I am just not interested in the lives of journos.

Just tell me the news.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Tell that to any teacher who has been sacked by a church-run school (whatever denomination) for different lifestyle/religious opinions. There are plenty.

That pretty much proves my point.

Religions are legally allowed to discriminate.

For instance in NSW it's actually legal for religious schools to expel a student for being gay.

Personally I find that abhorrent.


But it's not an issue the NRL should be getting involved in.

 

[Perth Red]

That pretty much proves my point.

Religions are legally allowed to discriminate.

For instance in NSW it's actually legal for religious schools to expel a student for being gay.

Personally I find that abhorrent.


But it's not an issue the NRL should be getting involved in.

I very much doubt there would be any issues with the NRL calling this merkin out for being a homophobic tool. Be it Religious belief, personal belief, cultural belief etc does not mean you have the right not to be called a merkins by your employer or the NRL. Pretty sure you can find anything you like in most scriptures to justify being racist or sexist, good luck twittering either of those beliefs and not getting dragged over the coals by the NRL.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I very much doubt there would be any issues with the NRL calling this merkin out for being a homophobic tool. Be it Religious belief, personal belief, cultural belief etc does not mean you have the right not to be called a merkins by your employer or the NRL. Pretty sure you can find anything you like in most scriptures to justify being racist or sexist, good luck twittering either of those beliefs and not getting dragged over the coals by the NRL.

Well perhaps the NRL could have distanced themselves from the comments. But they certainly couldn't punish him.

The core of what Stig wrote was directly about gay marriage. It wasn't a general rant about homosexuals. Given its specific nature and the fact that gay marriage is not an accepted practice in most of Australia I fail to see how his comments could be punishable.

 

[Pete Cash]

I can't post political comment with my job. I reckon if I posted what stig had under my real life name and it got back to them I'd risk punishment I'd reckon. In particular the part about saying gays are the result of Satan's trickery.

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

Yeah I'm not sure about some backwards parts of Australia but in countries and regions that have 21st century values you're going to lose your job for coming out in public with that sort of blatantly homophobic nonsense.

It's not 1803 - Religion isn't an excuse for racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.

The NRL could absolutely punish them. Just as they can punish players for racism, sexism, smoking weed, etc.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Yeah I'm not sure about some backwards parts of Australia but in countries and regions that have 21st century values you're going to lose your job for coming out in public with that sort of blatantly homophobic nonsense.

It's not 1803 - Religion isn't an excuse for racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.

The NRL could absolutely punish them. Just as they can punish players for racism, sexism, smoking weed, etc.

Then why haven't they?

The NRL are so quick to punish a player ( or at least investigate) for off field transgressions these days, why have they ignored this?

 

[herbert henry1908]

I can't post political comment with my job. I reckon if I posted what stig had under my real life name and it got back to them I'd risk punishment I'd reckon. In particular the part about saying gays are the result of Satan's trickery.

I presume that's specifically written into your contact?

 

[God-King Dean]

Still a bitter journalist who rubbishes people who achieve in their lives, while he sits on his fat arse talking about them.

Good for him that he's finally come out - but in typical journalist style, he thinks it's all about him.

 

[God-King Dean]

Whether he has a message or not Webster, like so many journos these days, makes the mistake of thinking he is worthy of a story.

I am just not interested in the lives of journos.

Just tell me the news.

 

[mongoose]

Yeah I'm not sure about some backwards parts of Australia but in countries and regions that have 21st century values you're going to lose your job for coming out in public with that sort of blatantly homophobic nonsense.

It's not 1803 - Religion isn't an excuse for racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.

The NRL could absolutely punish them. Just as they can punish players for racism, sexism, smoking weed, etc.

So you should lose your job for stating an opinion? wow so forward thinking..

outside of work you should be free to walk the streets in a Klan outfit if you wished. Unless its illegal your employer can't do shit.

 

[Patorick]

What Stig did and why he did it was the "news".

This is Webster's very honest and open response to it, with progressive values shared by lots of people that follow this game around the world.

Not everyone, sure, but many.

 

[Brutus]

Cecchin now Webster.

Just put it all out on the table lads. Maybe a current player can come out of the closet next. Nobody really cares anymore. Just admit it and get on with your lives. Much of society has grown up. The ones who haven't are the genuine outcasts these days.