Action against Channel Nine over gay jokes on The Footy Show is mounting, with Sydney-based gay activist Gary Burns announcing that he will use anti-vilification laws to take the network to court.

The developments follow a recent report in Sydney gay newspaper SX, in which former professional rugby league player Ian Roberts labelled The Footy Show’s jibes “absolutely pathetic” and dangerous to young people coming to terms with their sexuality.

Openly-gay Roberts was referring to a May 7 Footy Show skit during which ‘Elton Johns’, a fictitious brother of NRL stars Andrew and Matthew Johns, was taken to hospital for being gay.

In the skit, entitled ‘My Three Sons’, Johns family patriarch, ‘Gary Johns’, told hospital staff:  “I want to return this – it’s faulty.”

Other family members expressed shame and contempt for the gay “black sheep”.

“I’m so ashamed of him,” said Andrew Johns.

Burns told Queensland Pride that the skit was “a very clear-cut case of anti-gay vilification under the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977, section 49ZT(1)” and that he had lodged a complaint with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board (ADB).

“Their jokes clearly portray homosexual men as objects of ridicule,” he said.

“The ‘it’s faulty’ reference portrays homosexuality as a disease that needs psychiatric intervention. It portrays male homosexuals as sick and not a normal part of a society ... I felt violated being portrayed as sick and dirty.”

Burns, a veteran of successful legal action against homosexual vilification, added: “If similar jokes were made about Jews or Aboriginals or Asians there would be uproar, but people still make these jokes about gay people because they think they can get away with it.

“It’s very important to stand up to it, to ultimately stop vilification, which begets violence, ridicule and youth suicide.”

Australian Coalition for Equality (ACE) spokesperson Rodney Croome backed Burns’ actions, telling Queensland Pride: “Football players and commentators are demi-gods in Australian society, so when they demean gay people it can have a devastating effect, not only increasing the possibility of suicide among young and isolated LGBT people but also gay hate crime against us all.”

“People who think stereotypes, prejudice and cruelty are funny aren’t comedians, they’re bullies,” he said.

Ian Roberts also backed Burns, telling Queensland Pride he was “over the moon” with his legal action.

“It’s about time someone did this,” the gay footballer-turned-actor said. “Those blokes at The Footy Show – and you can quote me on this – are absolute fucking morons, and more power to Gary Burns for taking them to court.

“I will back him to the hilt on this 100 per cent. People like the Johns brothers need to be held accountable for their actions and their effect on others.”

A spokesperson for Channel Nine refused to comment, however as Queensland Pride went to press, it was understood that The Footy Show had invited the Sydney Convicts – an all-gay rugby union team – onto the Thursday, June 11 episode of the program, to counter claims of homophobia.

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