Megan Schutt lashes fans for saying ‘lesbians are predators’ ahead of T20 Cricket World Cup semi

Australian cricket superstar Megan Schutt has a simple answer when people ask why LGBTQI+ athletes come out or share their lives on social media like any straight person would: because “there are still some kids who’d rather be dead than be.” homosexuals”.

The 30-year-old fast bowler, who is married with a son, has always been one of Australia’s most outspoken female athletes when it comes to inclusion and gay rights, and the fact that she is at about to lead the side’s attack in a T20 World. The Cup semifinal will not change that.

It means that he is often directly in the firing line of social media trolls, which he often acknowledges and denounces.

But this is not a case of water from a duck’s back. It’s more like a mighty duck donning a helmet and charging into battle armed, determined to turn the tide on the homophobia that still runs rampant in the sport.

Lesbian athletes, in particular, are subject to cruel stereotyping and vile trolling; and with there being a high proportion of gay women involved in women’s cricket, Schutt wants more to be done to make the sport more inclusive.

One thing that particularly ‘enrages’ Schutt, the number one in the world. The 5 ranked bowler in T20 cricket with a phenomenal 122 wickets from 94 matches in the format, is people who link homosexuality and pedophilia.

“Some jerks might say things like, ‘You’ve been coerced because your teammates are of the same sex.’ Coercion: everyone in cricket is gay, that’s why you’re gay,’ she said. newscorp.

‘That goes back to thinking that being gay is a choice. Which obviously isn’t.

“The one about coercion used to annoy me the most, because it also implies that lesbians are predatory and that we’re only there to turn all these young straight girls into lesbians.

“That infuriates me because it has very deep roots in the thought that homosexuals are pedophiles,” Schutt said.

Schutt specifically took aim at the seven Manly players who refused to wear the club’s rainbow jersey last year after claiming being gay was a “lifestyle choice”.

She told Daily Mail Australia that the Manly players’ comments were ‘insulting’, taking offense at those involved in sport and society, who say gay people should not proudly profess their sexuality because ‘nobody cares ‘.

“The old standard response when someone dates ‘it’s 2023, nobody cares, you don’t need to date’…actually, it does matter, because there are still kids out there who would rather be dead than gay,” he said.

“(Coming Out) isn’t for the everyday fan, it’s for the other people in the closet who need this sh*t to feel human.”

That’s precisely why it’s important to Schutt to talk about homophobic behavior and express his sexuality in the only way he knows how: openly and honestly.

The speedy star, who was named to the ICC Team of the Decade, married his partner Jess Holyoake (now Schutt) in 2019, and the couple have a year-old daughter, Rylee.

‘Shooter’, as he is known, is one of the most popular figures in Australian cricket, he is one of the funniest characters you will ever meet. But underneath his self-deprecating demeanor, he also has a fierce desire to be a role model.

She was one of the most vocal athletes trying to secure a yes vote in the same-sex marriage debate, telling those against it “if you don’t want gay marriage, then don’t get gay.”

Schutt and his wife were also very open and honest about the difficulties of IVF and how to deal with Rylee’s difficult start to life, after she was born 11 weeks premature.

That honesty was on display again when he appeared to receive a shocking barrage at Cricket Australia, criticizing the governing body for not doing enough to promote LGBTQI+ rights.

“I really don’t like halfway diversity. It’s great that Cricket Australia is going with Pride month. They change their logo for a month on twitter and that’s great. But they’re probably not doing enough outside of that to continue that inclusion,” he told News Corp.

“The Cairns basketball team didn’t want to use their logo, that’s where CA can step in and say, ‘wait, we’re inclusive and this is what we’re going to do.’

‘If I had the opportunity to speak to Nick Hockley (CEO of CA), I would love to talk about it.

‘It doesn’t have to be a whole (Pride) shirt. But imagine, the Pride flag. Not just the rainbow, but the rainbow itself, the trans-inclusive, all-inclusive flag.

Put it on the neck or on the sleeve and keep it constant.

‘We finally got there and put the Walkabout Wickets logo on it so it has to do with our indigenous background. And how many years has that taken? That’s a constant now in every jersey, as it should be.

‘Why can’t we do something similar in terms of Pride?’ Schutt said.

The incident Schutt referred to in the NBL recently came directly against openly gay player Isaac Humphries, who criticized his opponents for their lack of inclusivity, saying he was “disappointed in my LGBTQ+ family of athletes and coaches living quietly in cabinet”. .

For its part, Cricket Australia told Daily Mail Australia that they welcome Schutt’s stance against homophobia.

‘We appreciate Megan’s leadership of the pride and her contributions to the game. Our vision is to be a sport for all that makes Australians proud and we are committed to championing inclusion,” said Megan Barnett-Smith, Director of Social Impact and Sustainability.

‘Cricket Australia is a member of Pride and Sport. We have policies, guidelines and initiatives regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in community and elite cricket, as well as throughout our workforce.”

The governing body for the game in Australia also has a number of transgender and gay policies, while some Big Bash clubs have held pride matches, which Cricket Australia fully supports.

You only have to look at some of the vile comments Schutt makes about his stance against homophobia to know that society still has a ways to go.

Schutt continues to call out homophobic abuse on social media, and while he can handle it most of the time, sometimes it becomes too much.

‘Sometimes I can’t/don’t shrug (gay hate online); it’s just hard days,’ she said.

“But sometimes I try to remember that many people have not had any experience with gay or minority groups, so their thoughts have not been questioned (which most don’t like), or they have never been able to empathize/show feelings and unfortunately that mostly comes out in anger.

“Most people fear what they don’t understand and some just can’t understand sexuality, can’t understand that someone is different from them.

“When it’s just vile hate, that’s when I know they’re fucked up people and beyond repair,” said the ever-defiant Schutt.

But for now, the all-conquering Aussie side are squarely focused on taking on India in the T20 World Cup semi-final on Friday morning (AEST), as they look to defend their title.