Former West Coast player Mitch Brown becomes first AFL player to come out as bisexual
Mitch Brown has become the first male AFL player, past or present, to come out as gay or bisexual, in a step he hopes will make others in the game feel seen,The 36-year-old played 94 matches for West Coast in a career that ended in 2016,He identifies as a bisexual man and is in a long-term relationship with a woman,Brown said it would have been difficult had he spoken publicly during his playing career, but was motivated to help change the culture within the sport,“Maybe a second person [comes out], and then the third…,” he told The Daily Aus.
“You may be playing with someone who’s in the queer community.Empathy is powerful.”Adelaide’s Izak Rankine became the latest in a string of players banned for using homophobic slurs last week.But suspensions have been unable to address the root causes of the game’s struggle to accept diversity among its players.“What matters to me most is a sense of change, [creating] a movement where [players] can be anyone and be safe in any environment,” Brown said.
Ahead of AFL finals sign up for our free weekly newsletterThe news was widely welcomed on social media.In addition to messages from fans and supporters, the AFL Players’ Association described the post as “powerful” and the GWS Giants’ account responded with a heart emoji.Pride Cup CEO Hayley Conway said the announcement was “an incredibly significant moment for LGBTIQ+ communities and for AFL” while AFL/AFLW analyst and former player Kate McCarthy welcomed the “overwhelmingly positive” news.“To be honest, I did not think I would ever see the day when either an ex or current AFL men’s player would come out,” she said.“I felt like we were so far away from this, which is really, really exciting, that someone has done it.
It shouldn’t take courage to tell the world who you are, but it is extremely courageous from Mitch.“In the light of what the community went through last week, I thought that it’s even more brave that he decided to do it around this time and to speak up about his experiences.”Brown grew up in Ballarat and was drafted into the AFL with pick 16 in 2006.The defender debuted the following year and spent a decade in the competition before playing his final game at age 27, an elimination final against the Western Bulldogs.“I got to the end of my career and I was asked to play on for a couple more years, and I was over it.
I was done,” he said,“I craved talking to someone and not being judged,I craved the ability to choose who I wanted to be around, rather than to fit into a team,”He said he had “buried” questions about his own sexuality due to the “hyper-masculine” environment, and that slurs were so constant they “just became part of the normal conversation”,Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL WeeklyJonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL storiesafter newsletter promotion“There have been so many times in my life I’ve seen things or heard things and not said anything … in fear of people thinking I was gay or bisexual.
”Brown said he empathises with those currently playing, and it is easier for him as a past player to speak up.“I don’t have to run out there at the MCG in front of 80,000 fans next week … and fear the comments being thrown at me.”Dr Erik Denison, behavioural scientist with Monash faculty of arts, said the way in which Brown came out – voicing criticism of the homophobic environment he has experienced – could be a watershed moment.“What’s different here with Mitch coming out is that he is actually talking about the problems in his sport,” Denison said.“He’s talking openly about the homophobic environment being a factor in him deciding to retire from the game.
We haven’t heard that kind of direct criticism before from other players who have come out, including in rugby union and also football in Australia, and so this is an important turning point.“I’m hopeful this could mean that Mitch’s story might have a bigger impact than other players who’ve come out, because he’s a respected AFL player, an insider, talking about the problems in the game.He isn’t an outsider.He’s one of the boys, which means his words will have an impact on those within the game.”AFL CEO Andrew Dillon acknowledged Brown’s courage in sharing his story and how important the moment was for the game.
“Today is a step forward, and building on Mitch’s story we hope that others feel encouraged to be their authentic selves and share their own journeys, and that these stories are met with support from teammates, clubs and the wider football community,” Dillon said in a statement.“The AFL will continue to partner with our clubs, our Pride and Allies groups and the LGBTQI+ community to drive and celebrate inclusion across both our AFL and AFLW competitions.“Together, our commitment is to keep making football an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone to thrive — and that work never stops.”In contrast to the men’s game, the AFLW is a diverse competition which champions its many LGBTQ+ players and the community.
Thames Water agrees payment plan for £123m sewage and dividend fines
Thames Water has agreed a payment plan with the industry regulator for fines it owes worth £123m, as it races to secure funding to avoid temporary nationalisation.The utility company, which serves 16 million customers across London and the south-east, is trying to pull together a deal to avoid collapse.The debt-laden utility company was hit with a record £104m fine by Ofwat in May over environmental breaches involving sewage spills, after failing to operate and manage its treatment works and wastewater networks effectively.At the same time, a further £18.2m fine was levied on Thames for breaking dividend rules, the first penalty of its kind in the water industry
Scottish government trial of four-day week improves productivity and staff wellbeing
Increased productivity and improved staff wellbeing were among the results of a year-long trial of the four-day week by the Scottish government.Two public bodies, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), took part in the pilot, which was launched by Holyrood in early 2024.The two organisations, which had 259 employees in total throughout the trial, implemented a 32-hour working week for a year without any loss in pay or benefits for staff, while committing to maintaining standards of service.AiB and SOSE staggered the non-working day among staff to allow the bodies to function as normal, while part-time staff were offered proportional reductions in their working time.Staff at the two organisations reported less work-related stress and greater satisfaction with their jobs and work-life balance
Teen killed himself after ‘months of encouragement from ChatGPT’, lawsuit claims
The makers of ChatGPT are changing the way it responds to users who show mental and emotional distress after legal action from the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who killed himself after months of conversations with the chatbot.Open AI admitted its systems could “fall short” and said it would install “stronger guardrails around sensitive content and risky behaviors” for users under 18.The $500bn (£372bn) San Francisco AI company said it would also introduce parental controls to allow parents “options to gain more insight into, and shape, how their teens use ChatGPT”, but has yet to provide details about how these would work.Adam, from California, killed himself in April after what his family’s lawyer called “months of encouragement from ChatGPT”. The teenager’s family is suing Open AI and its chief executive and co-founder, Sam Altman, alleging that the version of ChatGPT at that time, known as 4o, was “rushed to market … despite clear safety issues”
US parents and teachers: share your experiences of AI in schools
Students in grades K-12 have been invited by Melania Trump to take part in a nationwide contest designed to encourage the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help solve community issues. The first lady wants students to “unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation” by participating in the government-sponsored contest.We want to hear from parents and teachers on their experiences of AI in schools. How do you feel about it being used in education? Do you support it or are you against it?You can tell us what you think of the use of AI in schools by filling in the form below.Please include as much detail as possible
US Open tennis 2025: Raducanu, Djokovic and Pegula in action on day four – live
So farm Svajda is doing nicely, 2-2 against Djokovic, and with Raducanu blazing a return past Tjen for 4-0, I’m going to pay that match more attention – though first i’m checking the draw, so well is she playing. And next up, it’s Rybakina or Valentova – tasty.Navarro did indeed take the first set off McNally 6-2; Azarenka has broken Pavlyuchenkova back for 3-3; Etcheverry took the first set against Lehecka 6-3 but trails by a break at 1-0 in the second; and Nakashima is trying to serve out the first set at 5-4 against Kym.I’ve never seen Svajda play before, so I’m interested to see what be brings. To get to this stage he won four quallies then his first-round match, which tells us he’s in form
Ryder Cup: USA captain Keegan Bradley does not pick himself to play at Bethpage
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