Australia: AFL slammed for publicly back the marriage equality campaign, getting involved in social and political issues. By Simone Fox Koob.

Former Carlton president John Elliott has weighed into the AFL’s controversial decision to publicly back the marriage equality campaign, slamming the organisation for getting involved in social and political issues.

He praised the Blues for a statement it released yesterday, which declared the club was a leader in promoting equality but it would stay out of the same-sex marriage debate and not recommend a Yes or No vote.

“As a club, we respect that this is about personal choice, and as such don’t intend to campaign on the issue,” the statement read.

“But we do strongly reinforce our club’s absolute commitment to equality – and a community that is free from any form of discrimination.”

Mr Elliott’s statement came as AFL House was evacuated after a hoax threat was phoned in this morning. Police are still investigating the threat.

The well-known businessman and former federal president of the Liberal Party also said the AFL’s decision to remove the YES sign from its Docklands headquarters after only 24 hours was not a planned move – as the organisation has claimed – but a reaction to public pressure.

“They’ve taken the sign down… I think the pressure from other clubs have forced them to do it,” he said. …

The AFL yesterday hoisted rainbow flags outside its Melbourne headquarters and rebadged a large-scale AFL emblem attached to the building with a ‘Yes’ sign as it publicly reiterated that the code stood in support of marriage equality.

Sport and politics don’t mix. But the left must politicize everything, because virtue-signaling is 24/7. Meanwhile the AFL might want to note that football attendance is down and tickets to watch games have fallen to 20% of ther normal price because of the politication that began a year or two ago.

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hat-tip Stephen Neil