You Cannot Be Trusted

Local News, By Christian Taylor, 28th July, 2008

Jeff Kennett, former state premier, president of AFL club Hawthorn and first rate ignoramus, has caused an uproar with his justification of the sacking of bisexual footy trainer Ken Campagnolo.

According to Jeff, once they found out Campagnolo was bi, they had to get rid of him, because he posed a threat to the young male members of the club. In saying this about Campagnolo, he’s essentially said it about all of us – you cannot be trusted because of your sexual urges.

“The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men – massaging young men – it ran an unnecessary risk and that’s why it decided it was best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do the right thing,” said Kennett to Melbourne’s Herald Sun.

“When you are in charge of a group of young boys, as this club was as I understand it, it’s got to make sure.”

The fact that Campagnolo has worked for over 20 years without a single incident seems to count for nothing, when weighed up against Kennett’s homophobia, and twisted notions of what Campagnolo might do.

Kennett went on to equate homosexuality to paed0philia, saying, “It’s the same if you have a paedophile there as a masseur, right? And you might say the paedophile would do no damage, but once it was pointed out to you, you have a duty of care to those underage children not to put them in a situation of risk.”

Campagnolo, who was sacked last year from the Bonnie Doon Football Club after 22 years of service, has taken the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Campagnolo is already homeless as a result of being unable to gain employment in his hometown of Mansfield since being outed. Kennett’s latest comments add insult to injury. “I am not a paedophile. Does that mean every straight male doctor cannot treat any female patient?”

Rodney Croome, spokesperson for the Australian Coalition for Equality, says that Jeff Kennett should immediately step aside from his role in depression advocacy group Beyond Blue, because his remarks are exactly the kind of comments that drive young gay people to suicide.

Croome says that it’s about time that AFL develop a strong anti-homophobia policy. Not only will it protect people like Campagnolo, but it will also “benefit the Game by tackling the kind of prejudice which can harm team spirit and cohesion.”

Kennett has since tried to backtrack, saying, “I am not interested in the sexuality of a particular person. What I am talking about is duty of care and litigation, so I’ve been completely taken out of context.”

Of course, context doesn’t even come into it. No re-contextualisation of these words could possibly make them valid statements.

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