The Cairns Taipans refusal to wear the rainbow logo in support of NBL Pride Round has drawn an angry response from their major sponsor who say they weren’t consulted over the move.
The Cairns Taipans’ decision to avoid wearing the NBL’s Pride Round logo blindsided the club’s major sponsor, leaving it bitterly disappointed.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the club referred to itself as the ‘CQUniversity Cairns Taipans’ and revealed the entire playing group would not wear the rainbow logo.
It prompted CQUniversity to issue a stern statement on Friday afternoon, revealing the organisation wasn’t informed of the Taipans’ choice and that it did not agree.
“To avoid any doubt, CQUniversity was not consulted on the Taipans’ late pre-game decision not to wear the Pride jersey in their Wednesday night clash, nor was the University made aware of the Taipan’s decision prior to their public statement being released,” CQ University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Nick Klomp said in the statement.
“As major sponsor of the Cairns Taipans, CQUniversity does not agree with the Taipans’ decision not to wear the Pride jersey.
“I spoke briefly to the Taipans management on Wednesday night, with the view to engaging in more in-depth discussions with the club in the coming days.”
Professor Klomp reinforced CQUniversity’s support for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation.
“At CQUniversity, inclusiveness is one of our core values,” he said.
“We strive every day to ensure our campuses and online environments are safe spaces for all people, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.
“I was therefore delighted to see the NBL join the ranks of other sporting codes this week in hosting an inaugural Pride Round, to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ people to the game of basketball and promote inclusiveness in the sport.”
UNITED COACH, PLAYERS TO WEAR PRIDE EMBLEM ‘PROUDLY’
Cairns’ controversial decision to shun wearing the NBL’s rainbow logo is a prime example of why Pride Round is so important, Melbourne United big man Mason Peatling says.
And coach Dean Vickerman said each of his players will “proudly” wear the emblem on Saturday night when they go in to a finals-shaping battle with New Zealand.
The Taipans sparked anger when the playing group chose not to sport the insignia on their jerseys during their Wednesday loss to South East Melbourne, the first game of the league’s inaugural celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Peatling, whose teammate Isaac Humphries made world headlines with his brave decision to come out as gay, said the Taipans’ stance highlighted “the need to have further discussions and the need to have everyone feel included in the game of basketball.”
“We’re excited to whip the jerseys out on Saturday and rock them,” Peatling said.
“The LGBT community has backed us all year, especially with Isaac, so we’re really proud to wear that jersey on the weekend and just represent them a little bit too.”
Vickerman said he’d spoken to Humphries about how the Taipans’ decision impacted him, but did not want to speak for the big man, who will return to face the Breakers after a three-game absence due to a left knee injury.
“I’m sure there’s a little part of him to say ‘hey, me getting back on the floor in this round is really important to me’ and (it’s) really important to the team that we have the talent level of him coming back into our roster,” Vickerman said.
“We’re a club that stands strong in our beliefs. We stood strong behind Isaac and now we go over and wear the logo very proudly and hopefully we represent the community and Isaac really well in the way we go and play.”
Earlier this year, Humphries revealed he’d struggled with dark thoughts and attempted suicide as he struggled with hiding his sexuality.
It was a revelation that should “hurt everyone in our league”, Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell said after his side’s win over the Taipans.
“I don’t have a relationship with Isaac but I shook his hand and said I’m proud of him when we played Melbourne — and I hate Melbourne,” Mitchell said.
“To know that there’s people out there who are feeling that way, we’ve got to open our arms up to them and make sure that they know that we’re a safe place and that we’re an ally and we’re friends and that your sexual orientation or how you identify just doesn’t matter to us.”
Vickerman said the controversy created debate but he hoped one day everyone could “get on the same page”.
He said guard Shea Ili’s season was likely over after the tough Kiwi copped another head knock that added to the concussion issues that have plagued his campaign, but held hope veteran David Barlow could still play a part in NBL23.
United, with two games remaining, sits seventh but is the form side of the competition, having won five in a row, its last loss on Christmas Day.
NBL TEAM’S CLAIMS ‘SUPPORT’ FOR PRIDE ROUND DESPITE LOGO REFUSAL
Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde has shut down questions about his players’ refusal to wear the NBL’s rainbow logo during Pride Round as a storm grips the league.
Following the Taipans’ 85-80 loss to South East Melbourne on Wednesday night Forde twice interjected during his post-game press conference when guard Ben Ayre was asked about the team’s stance.
Earlier Wednesday, the club issued a pair of statements, one which read the Cairns playing group had resolved to “collectively opt out” of wearing the insignia, following a negative response to reports some Taipans were wrestling with the decision on religious grounds.
Forde called the league’s Pride Round “perfect” but believed the players’ decision to shun the logo did not diminish the club’s support for the initiative.
“We’re doing this because we got around our brothers and we want to protect each other and rather than feel like we’re getting singled out for any particular reason, this is us, right, and I’m proud of them for it,” Forde said.
Asked if he understood why there had been pushback against the players, if coaches considered joining the players in their stance and how he felt about the NBL initiative, given the playing group was upset it had set some players up to be “vilified”, Forde said “the statements explain everything”.
When Ayre was asked if there was anxiety in the group and if he could give an insight into how the playing group reached its decision, Forde reiterated the club was supportive of the Pride Round message, but was “trying to avoid” “targeted attacks”, before shutting down further questions about the issue.
It comes as three-time All NBL First teamer and former Illawarra captain AJ Ogilvy weighed in on the issue.
“To everyone who said “the @NBL doesn’t need a pride round” – this is why they do,” Ogilvy wrote, with a retweet of one of the Taipans’ statements.
To everyone who said “the @NBL doesn’t need a pride round†– this is why they do. 😒 https://t.co/DAHugC5IiT
The league left the decision to wear the logo up to each individual player, but the Taipans felt they had “no choice” after “a barrage of abuse and harmful commentary that has led to individuals being targeted and shamed” and called for understanding.
Following the Taipans’ move NBL owner Larry Kestelman reiterated the league had “not mandated that our players have to wear the pride jersey”.
“The NBL fully respects and understands that there may be people in the community with different views to those being conveyed through the Champion Pride Round,” Kestelman said. “If any player or team elect not to wear the jersey, we will respect that decision.”
The State Basketball Centre court featured two huge Champion rainbow logos within each free throw line circle and adorned each Phoenix jersey in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community but were omitted from the Taipans singlets.
Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell said while his club had embraced Pride Round, ostracising the Taipans would not be productive for anyone.
“What this round does it opens dialogue and I think we leave Cairns alone, just let them do their thing and hopefully, over time, whoever feels like they can’t celebrate this round can be educated enough to realise that ‘hey, we’re really just holding out our hand to our brothers and sisters out there and we’re looking out for our community’.”
Alan Williams was proud his club embraced the Pride Round celebration.
“I know how much it means to everyone … we went all out, we showed our support and I think that the community appreciates that,” Williams said.
“I find it an honour to be able to play in … a round like this because it’s super significant to a lot of people who feel under-represented.”
The NBL has been thrust into further turmoil over its Pride Round initiative after the Cairns Taipans refused to wear the league’s rainbow logo. All South East Melbourne players, during Wednesday night’s 85-80 win, donned the small Champion rainbow insignia in the centre of their jerseys but the Cairns playing group “collectively” opted out after a negative response to reports some Taipans were wrestling with the decision on religious grounds.
The league left the decision to wear the logo up to each individual player, but the Taipans felt they had “no choice” after “a barrage of abuse and harmful commentary that has led to individuals being targeted and shamed” and called for understanding. The Cairns group was upset the league initiative had set some players up to be “vilified”.
“This is a negative distraction to what should be a positive experience across the game, and now we feel as though our only choice as a team is to collectively opt out of this season’s uniforms,” a club statement, issued shortly before Wednesday night’s clash with South East Melbourne and signed off by the 11-man Taipans’ roster, read.
“This is not a reflection of our individual stances or personal views, but a protection of our brothers that are being set up to be vilified and no longer feel as though they have a safe space in our sport.
“Positive change requires positive action, and we believe we can champion different people and groups in our society without persecuting others in the process.
“We hope everyone finds it in their hearts to understand.”
The CQUniversity Cairns Taipans share this message on behalf of the playing group. pic.twitter.com/i11zdfyfbj
News Corp, in an exclusive report on Monday, revealed the NBL’s celebration of the LGBTQ+ community would feature rainbow pride logos on all courts during round 17 and players had been invited to wear the small icon on their jerseys and participate in awareness training.
Following the Taipans’ move to shun wearing the logo, NBL owner Larry Kestelman reiterated the league had “not mandated that our players have to wear the pride jersey”.
“The NBL fully respects and understands that there may be people in the community with different views to those being conveyed through the Champion Pride Round,” Kestelman said. “If any player or team elect not to wear the jersey, we will respect that decision.”
Earlier Wednesday, the club lashed out over the reporting of the players’ hesitancy to wear the logo. The club believed attention on its conflicted players shifted the focus away from the Pride Round initiative.
“It has been disappointing that instead of focusing on the LGBTQ community and the positivity around the initiative, some media commentary has instead focused on players who may be conflicted because of religious beliefs or personal circumstances,” the statement read.
“The club hopes its fanbase and the wider basketball community will embrace the inclusivity that Pride Round is championing in a constructive way and celebrates diversity in our society and our sport.
“We support our players and respect their choice to wear or not wear the pride uniforms this season, without judgement.”
The Taipans said all the clubs players, coaches, chief executive Mark Beecroft, club operations and board representatives had participated in a 90-minute Pride in Sport training session.
Originally published as NBL 2023: Taipans major sponsor CQUniversity angry about Pride Round boycott
Cairns Taipans’ refusal to wear the NBL’s rainbow Pride Round logo has let down the LGBTQ+ community and shows cowardice — not strength — Michael Randall and Matt Logue write.
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