There’s been an outpouring of support for Kane Evans after the former NRL player came out as gay in a powerful interview on Monday night.
In the sit-down with Channel Nine’s 100% Footy, the ex-Roosters, Eels and Warriors prop vulnerably spoke of the mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness issues he has battled while trying to suppress his sexuality.
“I’ve been fighting a war within since I was about 15 years old. And it’s not sustainable,” he told interviewer James Bracey. “I’ve carried that around my whole life. But I’m here today to show people that you don’t have to live like that. Even now I feel a bit more free, just by saying it out loud, I’ve brought it to the light.”
“I know some people that have done some gangster things, but I feel like this is up there. I’m a bit proud of myself, and when I look in the mirror, I’m going to smile now,” he continued.
With his brave candour, Evans has become the second professional Australian rugby league player to publicly come out as gay. He follows in the footsteps of Ian Roberts, who did so 31 years ago while playing for the Manly Sea Eagles.
Since the interview aired, there’s been an outpouring of support for Evans, from followers and fans at home, to other sportspeople like Roberts, public figures and advocacy groups. Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, radio host Hamish Macdonald responded to listeners asking why Evans’ coming out was “newsworthy”. Read on for Macdonald’s eloquent response, and more of the heartwarming responses to Evans’ story from around the country.
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‘That discomfort sits with them’: Hamish Macdonald addresses critics
Hamish Macdonald is no stranger to succinctly and gracefully disarming critics who masquerade homophobia as public debate. On Tuesday morning’s 702 ABC Sydney Mornings program, he tactfully addressed listeners questioning the newsworthiness of Evans’ coming out, speaking to a listener named Chris.
“I’m actually going to come out myself on your program this morning. I’m left-handed,” Chris told Macdonald. “Today that’s not a news story at all, but 100 years ago that would have been a big story … our culture today treats sexuality as though it is the most important thing about a person’s identity.”
Macdonald asked if Chris had ever felt shame about his left-handedness — to which the listener replied that he hadn’t. Macdonald then asked Chris how he thought we can “move culture and society to a place where shame isn’t felt around things like sexuality — because that’s clearly how Kane was describing it”.
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“Honestly, I don’t have the answer to that question, but I think part of it has to be that we have to stop making such a big deal about these things in the public sphere,” answers Chris.
“These things matter but they’re not core to someone’s identity — there are more important things about Kane … I think the fact that he’s a footballer is more important than the fact he’s gay, and yet that’s what the news is talking about.”
Macdonald tactfully responded by explaining how shame can be overcome through honesty and openness — just as Evans demonstrated. “I suppose the reality is that if you’re living with that shame, how do you remove that shame, how do you get away from that?” he said.
“The point he seems to be making is that’s now for other people. If they’ve got an issue with it being discussed, that discomfort sits with them instead of with him.”
Ian Roberts: ‘This is Kane’s moment’
Ian Roberts, who made history as the first rugby player in the world to come out publicly in 1995, was foremost among those praising Evans’ bravery. “It was one of those extraordinary moments and I am so proud of him,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
The 60-year-old said he didn’t want to overshadow Evans’ moment, but acknowledged the familiar emotions the interview brought up for him. “I was in tears watching Kane’s interview,” Roberts said. “Everything he was saying … I thought ‘this poor kid’, I know exactly where he is in his head, what he is going through, the extremes of uncertainty of your own sense of self and your sense of other people.”
“It was wonderful to watch but also extremely distressing at the same time. You are shaking your shoulders at the world saying, ‘Wake up, wake up’,” he continued.
He went on to emphasise his support for Evans, saying: “I would love to be there for him. I would love to give him a hug and anything I can do I will be there for him … But this is Kane’s moment and I will leave him to deal with it the way he wants to deal with it”.
‘It may have saved many lives’: NRL legends offer support
While Evans’ interview proved that the NRL has a way to go in supporting players to come out while they’re actively in the league, the number of current and ex-players lending their voices to the support of Evans offers hope.
Sydney Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello recognised that Evans “wasn’t ready when he was playing footy” to come out, but expressed hope that his honesty would help future players.
“He talked about, you know, ending his life, which is horrible. And we don’t want that to happen at all. And we don’t want others to think that if they’re in that same situation,” Minichiello told 702 ABC Sydney. “So I think for Kane coming out and talking about it may have just saved many lives.”
On 100% Footy, another league legend, Andrew Johns, also expressed admiration for Evans’ pride.
“It’s a very masculine environment in rugby league, and he used words like guilt and fear and shamed. I can’t imagine the pain he has gone through at times,” Johns said.
“To come out now and tell the world, especially the rugby league world, it’s incredible the strength he has shown … he’s about to live the best part of his life, the second part of his life.”
Evans’ former teammate Victor Radley told the Sydney Morning Herald Evans was “the energy of the group” when they played together for the Roosters. “I love him as a bloke … He’s such a good dude. I’m happy for him,” he said.
On his first Instagram post since the interview, Evans wrote a powerful caption: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I love and accept who I am.” Plenty more players commented their support there, too.
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‘Visibility still matters’: Trailblazers and advocates praise Evans
Mitch Brown, an ex-AFL player who was the first player of the sport to come out as bisexual just last year, said Evans’ vulnerability “will do so much”.
On Instagram, he wrote: “Progress is rarely a straight line. There will be steps backwards, but there will always be more steps forward. Today’s one of those steps forward for hyper-masculine sports in Australia.”
He also acknowledged the work that needs to continue to shift homophobia out of sport, saying, “it comes from leaders,” not just ex-players like himself and Evans. “The one thing that happens is a lot of players, a lot of men players in these spaces, these hyper-masculine sports spaces like rugby and football, you’ll never know the impact that you’ll cause because a lot of players will remain closeted,” he said.
Victoria’s Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, Joe Ball, reflected on the “emotional impact” of pro footballers, including both Brown and Evans, coming out in recent years.
“I think we should pause and reflect on the profound lessons these men are sharing with us: that they couldn’t have done it alone, and that breaking free from the constraints of traditional masculinity to live authentically and love freely is incredibly liberating,” he shared on Instagram.
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Meanwhile, Pride in Sport, the national sporting inclusivity NFP, celebrated Evans’ “incredible courage”.
“As a former Fijian international and NRL player, Kane has spoken about the mental health impact of hiding his sexuality over many years. His willingness to share this shows real bravery, but it’s also proof of what happens when sport gets inclusion right,” said National Manager Ben Cork.
“For the next generation, Kane’s visibility proves LGBTQ people have always belonged in rugby league. Seeing someone like him represent his community at the highest level helps make the sport more inclusive.”
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