The NRL has publicly thrown in with Gay Marriage today, after Ian Roberts wrote to the CEO, Todd Greenberg. Yes, he's Jewish. Suddenly, the NRL's tedious lectures on Homophobia, Racial Diversity / Inclusiveness and Women's Rights - all of which have nothing to do with the game but everything to do with the Reform Judaism - makes perfect sense.
What's interesting is it seems that Todd Greenberg was being groomed for an position of institutional power either way, and almost became the head of NSW Cricket.
Interestingly, I'd heard Street Kids, Sex Workers * and Professional Gays in the club scene openly-joking for years about Roberts' interest in 'underage twinks', long before he came out. Years later, he moves to Hollywood, and instantly falls into gay director Bryan Singer's circle, gaining a role in a Superman film when, being blunt, he can't act for shit.
Curious.
Note Bryan Singer was later accused of grooming and abusing underage boys, until it was all swept, very quickly, under the rug, but not before confirmed bachelor George Clooney suddenly-settled down.
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In the wake of the sex abuse suit filed against Bryan Singer, reports and rumors have emerged that the director had a proclivity for partying with underage boys.
Now Bret Easton Ellis has weighed in, saying on his Monday podcast that not only had he heard that Singer attended those types of parties, he dated two people who had been through "the kind of Bryan Singer/Roland Emmerich world of parties," noting that the bashes weren't identified as "underage parties" but fake IDs were important.
One of Ellis' exes had gone to those parties and seemed to enjoy the sex and the attention, the American Psycho author explained.
"He said he had been one of those guys who had been invited to those parties for one or two months and he was a sensitive guy. … He wasn't really into the drugs but he was into the parties and the sex and the attention, and I could easily understand it," Ellis said. "I guess he was 17. I don't know how old he was, what was expected of him. He kind of got it and said 'I'm going to enjoy this now. I understand why I'm here and what my expiration date is and what these people want from me' and then moved on."
How odd that Roberts would turn out to be part of his circle, given the rumours from years earlier.
Of course though, I remembered this happening before that:
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But, at 50, [Roberts is] still ashamed for not doing more to save the life of a young friend and HIV carrier and paedophile victim. But while now happy and content as he pursues a career in Hollywood, after also serving on the NRL judiciary while illiterate, Roberts still hurts for “not stepping up” and helping the police before a teenage lodger in his home was murdered in the 1990s.
In the months before the 15-year-old was murdered, police knocked on Roberts’ door hoping the teenager would provide evidence against his alleged paedophile attacker.
Roberts says his first selfish thoughts at the time were of how the case — revealing his sexuality — would “destroy” his career. “This is what I live with now,” Roberts told Peter Sterling in an emotional interview on Fox Sports.
“And I don’t ask for anyone’s sympathy or (have) regrets because I’m totally comfortable with what happened now. I can totally get my head around it.
“But for me to go to that point and think about my career when that boy ended up being murdered, left dead in a ditch, it kills, it crushes me.” Roberts says his coming out in 1994 — which he described as the “worst-kept secret in rugby league” — was a huge relief personally and for his family.
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October 19 2009
Murdered teen had sex with Ian Roberts, inquest told
Murdered teenage prostitute Arron Light was "besotted" with former rugby league star Ian Roberts with whom he said he had sex, an inquest has been told.
Convicted sex offender Maxwell Raymond Barry said Arron told him he had intercourse with both Mr Roberts and another male the footballer lived with, and slept "in the middle" of them.
In 2006 when Mr Roberts gave evidence at the inquest into Arron's death, he strenuously denied having any sexual contact with the teenager.
Barry was giving evidence on Monday at Glebe Coroners Court before NSW Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge.
She is conducting an inquest into the death of Arron, whose skeletal remains were found in a shallow grave on the banks of a canal in Sydney's inner-west in March 2002.
The 17-year-old, who was reported missing in December 1997, was due to give evidence against Frederick George Rix in a sex abuse trial listed for March 1998.
Following Arron's disappearance, the prosecution offered no evidence in Mr Rix's trial and he was subsequently acquitted.
Mr Rix, who has been named as a "person of interest" to the inquest, has been representing himself.
But on Monday Ms Milledge was told he would no longer be present and would only attend when required to give evidence.
Barry told the inquest that in 1999 he was jailed for at least five years for sex offences.
When he was arrested, one of the complainants against him had been Arron Light, but that matter did not proceed.
Mr Roberts has told the inquest he befriended Arron and took him into his home for a period in 1996.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Ron Hoenig, asked Barry what impression he got when Arron talked about Mr Roberts.
"I thought he was deeply in love with him, absolutely besotted by him," Barry said.
"That's all he talked about all the time."
Barry said he once drove Arron to a residence where the teenager said he had stayed with the footballer.
Mr Hoenig asked whether Arron said he had any physical relationship with the footballer.
"Yes, he said that is where he lived and he had intercourse with them both, with Roberts and whoever he lived with. That is when I found out he sleeps in the middle."
Earlier, Barry said Arron told him he slept in the middle between Ian Roberts and someone else, but Barry could not remember the name although he said it was a male name.
"Did you know Ian Roberts was the one police turned to to encourage Arron to give statements about various activities," Mr Hoenig asked.
"Yes," Barry replied.
"(Arron) has never made any allegation about anything improper with his relationship with Ian Roberts," Mr Hoenig said.
"To me, he made allegations about Ian Roberts, yeah," the witness replied.
"But he never made them to the police," Mr Hoenig said.
"No, I think he was besotted with Ian Roberts, he could never do anything against him."
Barry said he also heard some talk about Ian Roberts having promised to buy Arron a house.
Roberts was later cleared. Completely normal. Just like you and me. Nothing to see here. He's just going to lecture all of us on being a Bad Person.
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* One street kid in the 80's mentioned to me an Australian Acting Legend being a regular client when he worked Sydney's notorious 'Wall'. "I was a late developer. Once I grew hair, he lost all interest in me."
It seemed a weird accusation to make at the time, because, there was no longer and social currency in being tied to that man's name. Why make that up?
Interestingly, by the next decade, it was common knowledge that the Legend's son almost destroyed himself with drugs, and any article that discusses him usually refers to him as a 'survivor'. Why would someone who was so successful - particularly for an Australian artist to achieve his level of mainstream success - want to obliterate themselves with drugs so badly? Makes you think.
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I guess there's no point really pointing this out to anyone. Everyone is trained to not see what is right in front of them.