Australian gold medal swimmer Stephanie Rice has apologized for a Twitter post in which she gloated over Australia’s rugby win over South Africa this weekend by writing: “Suck on that faggots!” Ian Roberts, a former Aussie rugby star who is openly gay, responded by calling Rice an “idiot.”
“I did not mean to cause offense and I apologize,” Rice said. “I have deleted it from the site.”
The apology was not enough for Roberts, rare in that he was openly gay while still an elite rugby player in the 1990s.
“She is an idiot … and anyone who continues to endorse her as an athlete is an idiot as well,” Roberts told News Ltd. “And I say that with a very sad tone in my voice. What a fool. … “It is never acceptable to belittle gay people.”
Rice’s comment could cause trouble for Davenport, the Aussie underwear company that Rice endorses and which is popular among gays Down Under. It will be hard for the company to square asking gay people for their money, and then turning around and giving a chunk of it back to Rice as an endorser. Especially with her lame non-apology apology. Did she think saying “faggots” would not cause offense? Maybe she really is an idiot.
Update 1: Jaguar drops Rice as a spokeswoman.
Update 2: Matthew Mitcham, the Aussie diver who is openly gay, had this to say on his Twitter feed (thanks to Joe Guckin for the tip):
It was offensive & very thoughtless, but being friends with her for 2yrs, I know she is not homophobic. … She luvs gays but used very ill-chosen language.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 3:19 AM
Former footballer, Ian Roberts has lead the way yet again in Australia as a professional sportsman standing up against homophobia. The voice that is missing is former swimmer Daniel Kowalski who recently came out in a blaze of publicity and has supposedly become an advocate for equality and pride, except it seems when it is hate speech from a fellow swimmer. Then it seems it’s okay in his judgement. Homophobia is wrong no matter how it is later explained away – so is silence!
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 3:26 AM
Stephanie may look great in the public but isn’t it amazing what comes out of the mouth. I wonder how this young “woman” speaks when she isn’t in the public eye?
I am not a member of the gay community but I am a Mother of an only daughter.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 3:32 AM
A pity Stephanie Rice didn’t have the courage to do a face to face interview when apologizing. It would mean much more than a media statement.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 7:24 AM
I don’t see how she was belittling “gay” people by saying that word. She wasn’t even targeting a homosexual, so why make the connection? If she’s belittling anyone it’s the S.African team – but she was just joking around.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 8:23 AM
Dear Steffie.
There are PLENTY of Australian women that will devoutly testify that us SAffers are not what you called our team.
Unlike you, I’ll spare you what SA men generally think of Aussie women…
Regards
Sammy
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 11:07 AM
Erm, I’m Asain…let’s try this…if Stephanie Rice had blogged ‘suck on that towel heads/n*****r or c**ns, do you think that would be accetable if it were aimed at an Asian team, or would you feel the stirrings of deep offense.
I hate to break it to you but ‘faggot’ is an offensive slur that should have been wiped from modern English decades ago along with the aforementioned words above. It’s not her thought behind it, it’s that she’s perpetuating an offensive word that can be misconstrued by even bigger idiots and she gives it her endorsement, maybe unwittingly, but still endorses the term ‘faggot’. And if you’ve ever been called a ‘faggot’ at school (I suspect not) it’s not very pleasant.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Sammy, good grief, how many chicks you’ve slept with really is not the issue here.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 1:34 PM
“Rice’s comment could cause trouble for Davenport, the Aussie underwear company that Rice endorses and which is popular among gays Down Under. It will be hard for the company to square asking gay people for their money, and then turning around and giving a chunk of it back to Rice as an endorser.”
Unfortunately, there is a LARGE portion of our community that either wouldn’t be informed about this incident or worse, are too superficial & self-absorbed to care.
on Sep 6th, 2010 at 5:33 PM
Check Matthew Mitcham’s Twitter feed. He’s very much forgiven her.
http://twitter.com/matthew_mitcham
on Sep 7th, 2010 at 7:35 AM
I wonder how I’m Asian would feel if she’d called them all Gooks or Chinks?
on Sep 7th, 2010 at 11:01 AM
I am a gay South African rugby supporter. The only thing that I will be sucking on is Quade Cooper. And I know I do it better than you, Steph. Suck on that! Oh, I am sorry – did not mean to cause offense.
on Sep 7th, 2010 at 3:03 PM
More ridiculous political correctness. In this context, “faggot” means weaker or less manly … it has the same connotation as “girly man.” It doesn’t refer to the sexual orientation of the other team. And this makes sense in the context of sport, which is, after all, very much a celebration of masculinity.
on Sep 8th, 2010 at 1:34 AM
‘Carn Australia, Harden the F**k Up!??
Seriously, can’t you take a bit of name calling, no one would even know or be offended if it didnt go to the news.
Im sure the springbok and wallabies taunt each other with worse comments.
“Faggots” is used all the time not necessarily meaning homosexual.
Australia is so full of panzy’s who cant take getting called a few names. HARDEN UP
on Sep 8th, 2010 at 1:51 AM
That faggot Rice should keep his cookie hole closed, it’s just a saying. Jaguar is overreacting and I will never ever consider buying that PC trash.
on Sep 8th, 2010 at 9:29 AM
Unfortunately, the Association of Surfing Professionals also allows their professional athletes to use “gay” in a derogatory way – broadcast around the world so millions of children could see it. This was the second offense after I had already contacted their International Media manager, Dave Prodan, about a similar piece that had run earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK3kex9U8r0
on Sep 8th, 2010 at 2:15 PM
It takes losing a Jaguar advertising contract to realize her snide attitude. Hmmm, I didn’t see Mitcham getting that kind of endorsement contract….but he defends her.
on Sep 10th, 2010 at 12:42 AM
She is at real person, real woman, full of energy in an unreal world, completely deflated
on Sep 10th, 2010 at 7:06 AM
all i can say is suck on that stef. thats a kind of thing u would say in a private env. and not a public slur. and to be ignorant and think a social site is safe to say a negative thing. sorry . thats being in a idealistic world. and giving that nice car back in public. that must have burned a bit. deep inside. but sure enuf, some other car company would give one back
on Sep 20th, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Actually she said nothing wrong. Those do gooders should get a life.
re; Stephanie Rice’s Remarks after Wallabies Victory over South Africa
SUCK ON THAT, FAGGOTS = A Retort toward a stupid, clumsy, or dull persons. Perfectly described by Stephanie about the SA Rugby Team getting beaten. This is a valid definition of her use of slang. Nothing wrong with it at all. Its akin to saying, something like “take that you fools !” or “top that you fools” with more colourful language and the exuberance of a Grand Champion. Give her back her JAG !
PROOF BELOW !
FAGGOT
A faggot is a kind of meatball. Faggots are a traditional dish in the UK,[1][2] especially the Midlands of England.[3][4][5] It is made from meat off-cuts and offal, especially pork.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food)
MEATBALL
2. Slang A stupid, clumsy, or dull person.
2. US and Canadian slang a stupid or boring person
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/meatball
SUCK ON THAT
http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/suck+on+that
a retort. It a bit like saying “Take That !”
Anyway, it matters zilch whether she likes gays or not. She’s entitled to use that slang as she chooses. SUCK ON THAT, FAGGOTS = A Retort toward a stupid, clumsy, or dull persons. Perfectly described by Stephanie about the SA Rugby Team getting beaten. This is a valid definition of her use of slang. Nothing wrong with it at all. Its akin to saying, something like “take that you fools !” or “top that you fools” with more colourful language and the exuberance of a Grand Champion. Give her back her JAG !
on Sep 27th, 2010 at 6:11 AM
I dunno what your problem is people, I thought it was bloody hilarious.
just your fault for not having a sense of humor
Suck on that, faggots!
on Oct 20th, 2010 at 9:12 PM
Hey SFTom? The reason the word also has that connotation is BECAUSE ignorant people like yourself have associated homosexuality (being a “faggot”) with weakness. That’s why it is offensive no matter how you use it.
Frankly, I hate the whole macho, manlier than thou attitude of so many men. Those who most have to prove it all the time probably are self-hating closet cases.