Subj : WORLDWIDE ROAR UNDER FIRE FOR "DIVERSITY" POST
To : All
From : Major Queen
Date : Fri Apr 24 2020 07:57 pm
APRIL 24, 2020 SOURCE EXPRESS
Worldwide Roar, formerly Warwick Rowers, has defended an Instagram post that
was attacked for not showing enough diversity, especially people of colour.
The original post showed four images from their most recent photoshoot
showing naked images of their athletes (with genitals covered) with text
saying it was their "biggest & most diverse shoot to date" and that "30 guys
from different sports and backgrounds got together to break down barriers
between men, genders, and sexualities."
Although the majority of comments left on the post congratulated the
organisation for their shoot and encouraged the fact they had a diverse range
of religious backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, age
groups and gender identities a number of comments criticised the organisation
for the lack of "Blacks or Asians" or made comments such as "100 shades of
white, so brave" or "Not diverse at all!!! Where are black guys? Mixed raced
guys? I find this photo offensive and I'm not even black!".
The original post has had more than 17,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
In response to the criticism, the sports-based campaign, known for stripping
down as a part of a calendar shoot that helps stop homophobia across all
sports, posted a second Instagram post where they tried to clarify their use
of the term diversity.
"As a project committed to raising awareness and fostering inclusion through
dialogue, we are grateful for all feedback," said the Instagram post.
"Our use of the term "diversity" in our last post has generated considerable
comment. However, it has clearly caused offence to some. That was not our
intention.
"We apologise for any confusion our post caused. A diverse and inclusive
world is at the core of our intention, and we want to clarify our history,
our commitment to diversity, and what we were seeking to share in our message.
The post continued explaining where Worldwide Roar had come from and that
they were originally mainly straight white privileged young men from a
prestigious English university and they wanted to use their platform to make
a difference.
"Team sport attracts fewer LGBT+ students than other university sports. And
that was the point: this was a team of athletes: mainly straight, mainly
white, mainly privileged young men. They wanted to acknowledge the life
chances they had had.
"They stripped completely naked in a very public way to show solidarity with
the vulnerability of other groups in society, and to make a lifelong
commitment to be a force for change.
They understood that men needed to change, that society needed to change.
Now, as the Worldwide Roar, we are building on their commitment through an
inclusive approach to recruitment, because we want all sportsmen to unite
behind that message and become a force for change.
"Two of our first guest athletes are mixed-race of African heritage, and we
are honoured that they are now two of our most active contributors.
"Our shoot in London featured Olympic level athletes, amateur sportsmen,
people of different ages and body types, straight men and LGBT+ men, and
people of European, African and Asian heritage.
"For ten years, our W stood for Warwick. Now it stands for Worldwide. We are
proud of our September London shoot as part of our journey towards diversity.
But it is a journey we have just begun. Join us. As a supporter. As a
participant. Be part of the change you want to see."
Comments on the response post reflected the positivity of the post and
acknowledged the organisation's reach throughout the community.
