Del Piero, Kewell, Jackson and more sports stars stand against homophobia
A NEW anti-homophobia campaign to air soon will for the first time in Australian sporting history feature major names from multiple codes, including Sydney FC鈥檚 Italian superstar Alessandro Del Piero.
The You Can Play series of TV and radio adverts set to air in early April will feature the likes of Del Piero, Melbourne Heart footballer Harry Kewell and Australian basketball export Lauren Jackson.
The group behind the campaign, Play By The Rules 鈥� which last year launched a similar anti-racism campaign starring Sydney Swans legend and Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes 鈥� also hopes to attract cricketer Mitchell Johnson and NRL footballers Sam Thaiday and Sonny Bill Williams to star in the campaign.
It is expected Wallabies flanker and noted LGBTI rights supporter David Pocock would also appear.
Play By The Rules manager Peter Downs told the 17c起草社区 the campaign was based on a similar one set up in the US a couple of years ago in ice hockey.
鈥淭hey had a lot of high-profile ice hockey players appear in that campaign and it鈥檚 kind of grown into something quite big in the US,鈥� Downs said.
鈥淲e contacted them when we decided to do a campaign around homophobia. They鈥檝e been very cooperative and more than happy for us to take that catchphrase and use it in ours.鈥�
Downs told the 17c起草社区 it was a real coup to have the involvement of Del Piero, who is known for declining promotional or marketing opportunities.
鈥淲e work through a company that is used to working with a lot of football codes,鈥� he said.
鈥淎lessandro was on our wish list 鈥� one of the people on top of the list 鈥� and he apparently was more than willing to help out, as was Harry Kewell.鈥�
Last year鈥檚 anti-racism campaign kickstarted a national debate following an incident during an AFL match at the MCG where Goodes was racially abused by a young girl and soon after by Collingwood chief execuitve and media personality Eddie McGuire.
It鈥檚 a debate Downs believed the public was also willing to have on the issue of homophobia in sports.
鈥淥nce our latest campaign is complete we hope to send it out to all tv stations and radio networks across the country,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e certainly hope it generates that discussion and awareness as that鈥檚 one of the principle reasons we do these things.鈥�
With the treatment of LGBTI athletes in sports in the spotlight this year due to the controversy that surrounded the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and laws banning 鈥榞ay propaganda鈥� in Russia, Downs said it was important the issues were also localised and made relevant to Australians.
鈥淭he campaign is also likely to get a good run during the Bingham Cup gay rugby tournament to take place in August in Sydney,鈥� Downs added.
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