Queerness is all but invisible in the NRL. Kane Evans coming out must shift the dial

Our society can and should be challenged to learn from Kane Evans’ decision to reveal that he is a gay man. His bravery should remind us that difference and diversity can be a source of strength.

Kane Evans did this last night and provided a sincere and deeply personal insight into being gay. For him, coming out confronted his whole sense of who he was, how he accepted himself and his perceived understanding of how others would feel and interact with him. The fear he was carrying negatively impacted on his wellbeing, leading to concerns with his mental health alongside problematic substance use. But he has now provided an opportunity for us all to be challenged, while also celebrating and sharing in this win collectively.

Queerness is all but invisible in men’s sport, especially rugby league. His coming out tackles the idea that people can play and participate without judgment. Such sharing within the game promotes opportunities for differences to be made visible.

For our Pasifika cultures, Kane has given us a challenge and a win on how we enact pro-social and positive masculinity. According to my own research, Pasifika men struggle with identifying as being queer due to persistent fears of stigma and shame from family and friends, further perpetuated by religious and faith-based expectations. They may participate in sex with other men but often do so in highly risky situations, leading to intimate partner violence, psychological trauma and physical health implications such as STIs, including HIV.

This stigma and shame was further highlighted in 2022, when most players who refused to wear the rainbow jersey for the Manly Sea Eagles Pride match against the Roosters were Pasifika men. We need more stories about diverse sexualities from Pasifika men such as Kane.

At the same time, his coming out celebrates the reality that such identities exist and reminds us that they have harmoniously existed in our Pasifika communities from before colonisation.

For the NRL, it’s a challenge and a win as the industry continues its development towards inclusive playing cultures and spaces. In my work with the game, I’ve undertaken a workshop with players which discussed the importance of celebrating sexual diversities. Most players said they wouldn’t care if a fellow teammate was gay. They saw their teammate as part of the club. It was the fear of the wider community outside of the club that they were worried about. By having more players come forward to share their own lived experience of being queer, we can challenge the NRL community, while also celebrating such i