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| Rainbow laces: Australia sports stars join anti-homophobia campaign | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Top Australian sporting stars will wear rainbow laces this weekend as part of a campaign against homophobia. | Top Australian sporting stars will wear rainbow laces this weekend as part of a campaign against homophobia. |
| The initiative is inspired by similar movements in other countries including Britain. | The initiative is inspired by similar movements in other countries including Britain. |
| Openly gay athletes are rare in mainstream Australian sport - no male has come out while playing in the country's four main football codes. | Openly gay athletes are rare in mainstream Australian sport - no male has come out while playing in the country's four main football codes. |
| Almost 80% of participants in an international study last year witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport. | Almost 80% of participants in an international study last year witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport. |
| To try to counter this, sports stars will wear the distinctive rainbow-coloured laces at major fixtures on Saturday and Sunday in Australia. | To try to counter this, sports stars will wear the distinctive rainbow-coloured laces at major fixtures on Saturday and Sunday in Australia. |
| Big names from football, rugby union, rugby league, Australian Rules football and netball are taking part. More than 100,000 thousand pairs of laces have been given to professionals and amateurs. | Big names from football, rugby union, rugby league, Australian Rules football and netball are taking part. More than 100,000 thousand pairs of laces have been given to professionals and amateurs. |
| Among those involved is Australian rugby international David Pocock, who last year complained to a referee about homophobic abuse being dished out by a rival player in a match. | Among those involved is Australian rugby international David Pocock, who last year complained to a referee about homophobic abuse being dished out by a rival player in a match. |
| Another rugby union star, Matt Toomua, who helped launch the campaign, said: "The fact most gay players come out after they've retired says something [about sport]. | Another rugby union star, Matt Toomua, who helped launch the campaign, said: "The fact most gay players come out after they've retired says something [about sport]. |
| "There's a reason for that. If that's the case, we want to create an environment where that's not what's happening," The Age quoted him as saying. | "There's a reason for that. If that's the case, we want to create an environment where that's not what's happening," The Age quoted him as saying. |
| Champion surfer Joel Parkinson is also showing his support by wearing a rainbow leg rope at a major tournament. | Champion surfer Joel Parkinson is also showing his support by wearing a rainbow leg rope at a major tournament. |