sport news Openly gay player Isaac Humphries lashes NBL team Cairns Taipans for refusing ... trends now

sport news Openly gay player Isaac Humphries lashes NBL team Cairns Taipans for refusing ... trends now
sport news Openly gay player Isaac Humphries lashes NBL team Cairns Taipans for refusing ... trends now

sport news Openly gay player Isaac Humphries lashes NBL team Cairns Taipans for refusing ... trends now

The first openly gay Australian basketball player has slammed NBL side Cairns Taipans after the playing group elected to unanimously shun the inaugural Pride Round jersey on the weekend.

Melbourne United centre Isaac Humphries came out as gay earlier this season and suggested the Taipans decision to shield players who refused to wear the jersey lacked courage.

Members of the Taipans playing roster had expressed concern over wearing the jersey for religious reason, but were not named.

Isaac Humphries attempts to get past Brisbane Bullets player Gorjak Gak. He is the NBL's first openly gay player

Isaac Humphries attempts to get past Brisbane Bullets player Gorjak Gak. He is the NBL's first openly gay player

Taipans players elected not to wear the Pride jersey, which included a small rainbow logo of sponsor Champion

Taipans players elected not to wear the Pride jersey, which included a small rainbow logo of sponsor Champion

Instead, the Taipans players elected to refuse to wear the jersey as a group to remain unified and not have teammates singled out.

Humphries was disappointed by their stance and issued a statement in response. 

'My teammates are like family. Like family, I will always come from a place of love and acceptance,' Humphries said.    

'So, when it comes to inclusion, I will always stand up and speak out when needed for my sport, for my community, and I'm disappointed for my LGBTQ+ family of athletes and coaches who live silently in the closet.

'If we are going to move forward with true equality, equity and inclusion in sport for LGBTQ+ athletes, we have to start by getting honest. We have to acknowledge there is a problem.

'The obligation is on all of us, no matter where in the sport power matrix we live. In the meantime, I will continue to encourage us all to come together, respect each other, lift each other up, and I will use my platform to give voice to the voiceless.

'Each of us needs to ask ourselves: what kind of courage did we display when our leadership moment arrived?' 

Cairns' long-time major NBL sponsor also slammed the club's decision not to wear the jerseys.

CQUniversity's vice-chancellor and president Nick Klomp has confirmed he was not consulted before the team's late decision not to wear the themed uniform, featuring a small rainbow-coloured logo, in Wednesday's loss to South

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