Manly legend Ian Roberts has slammed Josh Aloiai, who admitted he won’t be willing the wear the pride jersey or play in a NRL-wide pride round next season.
The 57-year-old became the first professional rugby league player to come out as gay in 1995 and said Aloiai still doesn’t have a “deep enough reason” to reject the jersey representing the LGBTQIA+ community.
Aloiai, 26, was one of seven players who refused to wear the jersey in Round 20 of the 2022 season, citing religious beliefs.
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“You should never be put in a situation where your religious views or cultural views and beliefs conflict with your job,” he said to Channel Nine.
But Roberts isn’t buying it.
“Why isn’t he going to wear the jumper? I still don’t think I’ve heard a deep enough reason for him to say that,” Roberts said to the SMH.
“He sounds very ignorant. He says, ‘We’re accepting of all people. But I draw the line at wearing a rainbow’.
“He’s saying he is loving and Christian but the acceptance isn’t for everyone. It’s contradictory and it’s hypocritical.”
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Aloiai also revealed his family had received death threats after the pride jersey saga, and Roberts hopes those responsible are held accountable.
“I suppose the thing that upset me most about it initially was that he and the other boys had death threats,” Roberts said.
“I really do hope that the club or the NRL chases this up because it’s something that’s just totally unacceptable.
“I would say it’s not unfamiliar for anyone in the queer community, particularly my age. I mean, you only go back to the ’80s and ’90s and gay people were being thrown off cliffs.
“So we’ve kind of lived with that whole violence and death thing … and because he is getting death threats that’s the reason we need a pride round for inclusion and acceptance.”
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Roberts also said it “does his head in” when Aloiai referenced his own sister who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
But the Sea Eagles prop said she is accepting of his stance and doesn’t have any issues with his rejecting of the rainbow-trimmed jersey.
“Me and her (have a tight relationship) and she knows that I love her to bits,” Aloiai said.
“Throughout all this happening, we did have a chat and she totally understood where I was coming from.
“She rang me up and was like: ‘How are you going? You all right? It’s so crazy the way the media has blown this out of proportion’.”
