Queer community apologizes from Wests Tigers NRL team

An Auckland transgender activist and artist is asking for an apology from the National Rugby League (NRL) Wests Tigers team after two of their players made “unsafe” posts on social media.

Self-proclaimed mother of the House of Iman fashion group Jaycee Tanuvasa appeared on the cover of the Herald’s Viva magazine along with other members, including Antony Sua, to celebrate the Auckland Pride Festival last month. It was seen as a significant moment for the Pasifika queer community.

But the cover image was edited by Sydney-based Tigers player Shawn Blore, replacing Sua’s face with that of another Tigers player, Michael Chee Kam, and he shared it on his Instagram Stories with emojis of laughter.

After mentioning the posts on Twitter, Tanuvasa wants to see a public apology from the team and for the NRL community at large to clarify what it is doing to support the queer community.

“I’m not trying to ridicule the careers of these guys, I just want them to feel ownership of their behavior and understand that this is not right,” he told the Herald.

“People are already making fun of us, they are already intimidating us for who we are.

“When you see that the leaders of the Pacific Islands, the male leaders, perpetuate that, what that does is validate those violent behaviors towards us and encourages them even more. Any mockery of our authentic lives will continue to add to the violence of us in our everyday life. “

House of Iman describes itself as “a competing dance house in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Australia”. The group is known for vogue, a type of dance form, and a broader culture.

Tanuvasa said there have been many times the House of Iman has been ridiculed, called derogatory terms, or even had articles thrown at them.

The Wests Tigers are role models, so their social media presence is very important, he said.

“If they are laughing at us, then many young people will say, ‘These lives are worth nothing but laughter and ridicule,’ and it has been true.”

Viva fashion and creative director Dan Ahwa said he was disappointed with the posts.

“Seeing the way they were fired on social media by those NRL players is pretty heartbreaking.

“For a lot of those athletes, they are high profile, they have a little bit of influence, so they have to be very careful how they post on social media.”

Ahwa said the cover story was an important step for the House of Iman members: to have visibility and to be recognized not only as artists but also as people.

Tanuvasa is calling for an updated policy within the NRL focused on the queer community. He wants to see how the Wests Tigers will make sure situations like Instagram Stories don’t happen again.

“Just make that clear to the community, so the broader non-Rainbow community understands what is unacceptable behavior and why.”

Ahwa supports their call.

“We support our rainbow communities. Many creatives belong to the rainbow community, so it is very important for us to make sure we work together with them.”

Information on the NRL’s support for the LGBT community does not appear to be up-to-date since 2018.

Tanuvasa said there has been no communication from the Wests Tigers on the matter.

The Wests Tigers were contacted for comment but did not respond at time of publication.