Same-sex marriage: Jason Ball says footy still has work to do to fight homophobia

GAY fans feel let down by clubs that “fence sit” over same-sex marriage, according to Jason Ball, footy’s first openly gay player, who says he has had “pushback” from some quarters since he came out.

Jason Ball: “It wasn’t so long ago that it was illegal to be gay, and we’re still not equal in the eyes of the law.” Picture: Andrew Tauber

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HE IS the poster boy for the fight against homophobia in sport, but South Yarra’s Jason Ball says he wasn’t always one to wave the rainbow flag.

As a boy growing up in regional Victoria, Mr Ball said he struggled to come to terms with his sexuality.

Few people knew what he was going through, including most of his friends and, for a long time, his parents.

But with suicide and depression rife among the country’s LGBTIQ youth, he said he was prompted to come out in 2012, making him the first Australian rules football player to do so.

His aim was never fame, although the 29-year-old has hardly been out of the spotlight since. He said he simply wanted to be a role model for those who needed it most.

“I wasn’t always someone who waved the rainbow flag, I didn’t necessarily connect with pride and why that was important to the gay community,” Mr Ball said.

“I remember that when I first figured out that I was gay, I made a promise to myself that I would never act on those feelings my whole life.

“But I got invited to lead the Pride March in Melbourne after coming out in football, and I really came to learn that the reason we celebrate pride is because pride is the opposite of shame.

Jason Ball: “Being gay doesn’t define me, but it is part of who I am, and I’m proud to be myself.” Picture: Andrew Tauber

“Sometimes (after coming out) … when I was on TV the caption below would be, ‘Gay footballer Jason Ball’. And sometimes people would be like, ‘oh, is that hard, to be known as the gay footballer?’

“But I know that when I was younger I needed to see that on the TV screen, that there was such a thing as a gay footballer. So I’m happy to wear that.

“Being gay doesn’t define me, but it is part of who I am, and I’m proud to be myself.”

In a whirlwind four years, Mr Ball has become an ambassador for beyondblue, entered politics for the Australian Greens, and been named the 2017 Victorian Young Australian of the Year.

He’s spent much of his time visiting schools, sports clubs and workplaces to talk about issues related to sexuality, and he said he was often buoyed by how “ready” some people were to embrace change and break down homophobic stereotypes.

But he said there was still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done, and society needed leaders in this area as the same-sex marriage plebiscite wore on.

“I haven’t just waltzed into schools and changed the culture and it’s all been fine,” Mr Ball said.

“There has been pushback. I have had schools where kids have opted out of hearing me present.

“In Gippsland they had a Pride game and there was a life member or sponsor of the club who said that they were walking away from the Glengarry Football Club because they were involved in the Pride Cup.

“And there was also a local person in the community who put up rainbow flags in the main street of Glengarry in the weekend of the Pride Cup. The night before, they all got torn down and thrown into a garbage bin.

“There isn’t universal agreement out there on this issue, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to get to that point.

“It wasn’t so long ago that it was illegal to be gay, and we’re still not equal in the eyes of the law.

“But you can build community and resilience in the face of isolation and that discrimination.”

That’s why Mr Ball gets so upset when people attack the AFL for supporting the marriage equality vote’s ‘yes’ campaign, or when clubs shirk their responsibility to take a stand.

Some LGBTIQ fans also felt they had been let down by their favourite clubs, Mr Ball said.

“The reason the AFL and the AFL clubs are coming out and showing leadership is because of the complete absence of leadership from our government,” he said.

Gay footy fans feel let down by their clubs sitting on the fence on the same-sex marriage vote, says Jason Ball. Picture: Andrew Tauber

“Now that we’re coming out and having our say, they (the critics) can’t cop it. I think it’s been disappointing to see some clubs fence sit. In a situation of injustice and oppression if you sit on the fence, you’re basically saying that the discrimination and the status quo is okay with you.”

In the meantime, as the country’s citizens vote on the rights of their peers, Mr Ball said he held deep concerns for society’s youth.

Mental health services had reported a 20 per cent increase in the number of LGBTIQ young people seeking help, and he said a Pride Centre such as the one slated for St Kilda was needed more than ever to connect them to resources.

He’s also pondering a return to football after an anterior cruciate ligament injury forced him to the sidelines, as well as whether he’ll run again for the Greens in the seat of Higgins at the next federal election.

And, like most Melburnians, you’ll often find him at his favourite local cafe, The Final Step in South Yarra, which turns out a good brew and also supports a food and education program in Argentina.

If you ask Mr Ball’s dad, David Ball, his son’s passionate advocacy is similar to the grit he showed on the footy field when he played for Yarra Glen Football Club.

“He was always a courageous footballer. He was always a very strong footballer,” David said.

And while he and his wife, Helen, are proud of their son’s actions, he said he had one regret, and that was not broaching the subject of his son’s sexuality with him sooner.

“In hindsight ... I would have said something to him myself,” David said.

“The problem we have in general is historically homosexuals have been considered bad people or abnormal. You don’t need to be scared of it.”