A LEADING rights group has dismissed claims by controversial AFL player Jason Akermanis that professional footballers aren't able to deal with openly gay players.

Senthorun Raj, policy and development coordinator for the Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby, said rugby league team the Penrith Panthers had signed up to This is Oz, a campaign which celebrates diversity and challenges homophobia, proving that football codes are able to accept gay players.

Mr Raj said the idea that gay players are “somehow undisciplined, anti-masculine and unsportsmanlike” promoted sexual shame and invisibility.

“People’s sexual orientation shouldn’t be considered a meaningful indicator of someone’s ability to play sport,” he said.

Mr Raj’s comments follow claims by Akermanis that the AFL wasn’t ready to accept openly gay players, and coming out “could break the fabric of a club”.

Writing in the Herald Sun, Akermanis said: "Football clubs are very different environments. Locker room nudity is an everyday part of our lives and unlike any other work place.

"I believe it would cause discomfort in that environment should someone declare himself gay."

“I know there are many who think a public AFL outing would break down homophobia, but they don't live in football clubs. It's not the job of the minority to make the environment safer. Not now, anyway.”

Mr Raj said that when masculinity was closely aligned with heterosexuality, people tended to keep their non-heterosexual orientation hidden for fear of physical threats of violence, harassment, and ridicule.

"In a society that still demands people’s sexual identity be placed on the table if they are not heterosexual, coming out has become a double bind. Either a person must be public about their sexuality and risk social marginalisation, or as in Akermanis' comments, shamed into remaining silent in order to 'fit' with a particular sporting culture."

In his opinion piece, Akermanis wrote: “Never in a mall will you see two straight men hugging, a--- slapping and jumping around like kids after an important goal.

"Locker room nudity and homoerotic activities are normal inside footy clubs.

"Young people from the ages 15-24 are the main participants in organised sport in Victoria. Some of them must be gay and I hope they thoroughly enjoy their sporting lives without having to experience any form of prejudice.

"But if they are thinking of telling the world, my advice would be forget it.”

AFL media manager Patrick Keane said: "We don't agree with Jason Akermanis' point of view".

'Ignorant and dangerous'

ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill says Akermanis’ comments are ignorant and dangerous.

“Mr Akermanis says players being open about their sexuality is a risk to the ‘fabric’ of AFL clubs and their culture. However, hundreds of thousands of gay men and lesbians have been open about their sexuality for decades in our society and the ‘fabric’ of our culture has remained intact."

Mr Parkhill rejected a claim by Akermanis that it's "not the job of the minority to make the environment safer".

"It is actually everyone’s job to make our society a safer place for everybody and this includes sporting clubs and AFL players.

“Homophobic comments from people with high public profiles are extremely concerning because they perpetuate the stigma and discrimination which impact negatively on the health of GLBT people in this country.”

Mr Parkhill says all major football codes in Australia have recently thrown their weight behind the This is Oz campaign to tackle discrimination against GLBT people.

“This campaign has been endorsed by the players and management of the Wallabies, the NSW State of Origin team and the Penrith Panthers. The AFL itself has endorsed a similar campaign in Victoria.

“We congratulate these players and club officials for their support and encourage people like Mr Akermanis to move with the times, face up to the impact of homophobia and then hopefully do their bit to help make Australia a place where everyone belongs.”