I couldnt sleep last night. All the bigotry, hatred and stupidity in the news gets to me sometimes. For some reason, Israel Folaus story has really bothered me. Its not just that old Izzy likes to stand at a pulpit and tell people theyre going to hell, its that when called out for it hes gone straight for the Im being victimised for my beliefs trope. You know, the one people use when they want the right to say something indefensible and not be criticised for it.

Izzys set up a GoFundMe campaign asking people to donate so he can raise money for his legal defense. And thats the sort of bullshit that has me staring at the ceiling at 5am wondering what the hell is wrong with this world. Lets review.

Israel Folaus a lucky guy. Hes 64, 103 kilos and can run the hundred metres in about four seconds. When you put a ball in his hands, he bashes a bunch of other big blokes out of the way until he puts the ball on the ground on one side of a line painted on the ground, and then thousands of people jump up and down with joy. Because of this hes become a very sought after bloke. Hes played three different football codes and been paid handsomely for his services wherever he goes. When Izzy decided to give rugby league the flick there was a bidding war for his services ending with a multi-million dollar contract with GWS, for whom he turned out all of thirteen times, slotting a whopping two career goals.

Like I say, lucky guy.

But Izzys luck began to run out when he started opening his mouth while holding another multi-million dollar contract, this time with Rugby Australia. You see, Izzy reckons he has a hotline to a man who lives in the sky who is in control of everything in the world. This man loves us all, but despite being omnipotent hes powerless to stop people wanting to do things in their bedroom that make him really angry. And because old Izzy has this close relationship with the man in the stars, he feels its his duty to tell everyone what the man wants, and in particular how the man really does hate those damn gays.

And thats where the trouble started.

You see, Izzy cant stop himself from saying that homosexual people are going to hell. Now, youd think that the threat of eternity in a really hot place filled with fire and unhappiness might stop those gays and make them like the opposite sex again but no, it turns out they still want to have a good time, dance to disco music and generally be allowed to live their lives in peace and quiet. And thats the kind of shit that gets god really very angry indeed, so Izzy doubled down. In April this year he posted a meme on Instagram that warned homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators and thieves that (his caps lock, not mine) HELL AWAITS YOU. REPENT. ONLY JESUS SAVES.

Now, thats casting the net a bit wide dont you reckon? Liars and thieves too? Ive told the occasional fib, and when I was about four I mistakenly took a plastic toy from a shop, not understanding the rules of commerce. So it turns out that Izzy thinks a whole heap of us are headed down for a good long dose of sulphur.

And Rugby Australia had a problem. You see, the national side is a bit rubbish at the moment and weve got a world cup in a few months. As you will recall, Izzys extremely good at making his 100-kilo rig move very fast while carrying a ball, so to give him the flick with Japan on the horizon was, perhaps understandably, not something they really wanted to do. But in 2019 when youve got a crazed loon on your hands raving about gays and jesus, its not a good look. And when you also employ this loon under a contract that outlines a code of conduct, you may well be within your rights to show him the door.

So thats where we find ourselves. Izzy thinks hes the injured party here, a victim of these intolerant times when a man cant speak his religious views without consequence. On Easter Sunday the poor man broke down while delivering a sermon, quoting Matthew - for what shall it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his own soul. A few weeks later he lost a major sponsor, so that may have answered his question.

This month, Israel Folau commenced proceedings against Rugby Australia for breach of contract. If the case proceeds, it may end up being a significant legal milestone as Australia debates a tired moral question is it OK for someone to say bigoted things because they have religious views?

The short answer is no, of course. Personally, I think Izzy should have read his contract before he said what he said, but Folaus up for a fight so hes launched a GoFundMe campaign, trying to raise $3 million for his legal costs.

Theres a couple of things you should know right off the bat. First, its worth noting the disclaimer at the bottom of the appeal, which says there are no obligations for Folau to apply the funds in any particular way with respect to his legal action. Thats one sweet get-out clause. Second, and more importantly, this really isnt what GoFundMe is all about. Its supposed to be a way for people to raise money when they dont have any. Izzys got lots of money his property portfolio is reportedly worth $5 million alone.

And this is where you begin to want to take a shower. GoFundMes homepage features images of children in wheelchairs, and water bottles being loaded into a plane. Izzys got the top listing, and as of today has raised over half a million dollars. The images next to his are of a young girl with neuroblastoma and a boy with hepatoblastoma. Theyre appealing for much smaller sums of money for their desperate situations, but Izzys already raised more than three times the amount theyve got, combined. And now Im going to go and puke.

Izzys said that he has the fight of my life on my hands, but hes competing for precious money with children who really are fighting for their lives, so he can have the right to say that god hates gays.

Heres the thing. God doesnt really hate gays. The bible has virtually nothing to say about homosexuality, save for a few short lines, and most of those are in that wacky fire and brimstone book of Leviticus, the one Samuel L Jackson quotes before he shoots people. Leviticus says that touching the skin of a dead pig makes you unclean. Luckily for Izzy, rugby balls have been made from synthetics since 1980, but the bible also says you can sell your daughter as a slave (Exodus), and is pretty keen on executing people for a variety of trivial offences. Hell, it says you cant eat shellfish something like nine times, but Ive seen prawn platters at the church fete. You can pick and choose love and hate from the bible, thats your choice, just as you can choose to be a loving person or a hateful one.

You know who actually hates gays? Bigots. Bigoted children mocking their classmates for not being like the rest of them. Bigoted men bashing gay couples in the street. Bigoted governments around the world, imprisoning or even executing people for perceived sexual deviancy. Words have consequences, and somewhere along the way theres going to be a boy going home with a black eye because intolerant bigoted people like Israel Folau feel its their god-given right to use a pulpit to spout hatred, and to keep their job at the same time.

Israel Folaus words have rightly cost him his job. His legal action demands that people claiming connection to an invisible celestial being are above such petty matters as contract law, and their beliefs should allow them to say whatever they want, irrespective of consequence. His GoFundMe campaign is a disgusting perversion of human generosity, and an insult to those poor families facing the worst misfortunes imaginable and needing money to save their children. This entitled man wants you to pay for his right to bigotry. What religion would defend that? What god would divert funds to a lawyer over a dying child?

As you can see, it gets me a touch riled up. But as Bluto says, dont get mad, get even. Thats what had me up at 5am. How, I wondered, could we turn this story into a positive. How could we do something good, with the added bonus of annoying Israel Folau.

Today I have set up a GoFundMe campaign called Put Izzy in a Tizzy. Its aim is to raise as much money as possible ($3 million would be nice), and to spend that money in the cause of anti-bigotry, tolerance, inclusion and compassion. Ive had a few ideas, and welcome yours.

- Donations to Australian-based charities offering counselling or support to people facing persecution or mental anguish based on their sexuality.

- Money for Marko, a two-year old boy in Victoria diagnosed with neuroblastoma. He had a tumour the size of an orange removed from his body before his second birthday. His family are using GoFundMe to try to raise $350,000 to pay for treatment in the US. As of today theyre not quite half-way there. Lets fix that.

- Sponsorship of an LGBTIQ rugby match, at which all sexes and sexualities are welcome. Perhaps we could ask Rugby Australia to officially sanction and support the game, with all proceeds to support groups for gay people wishing to play sport.

Israel Folau has led a lucky life, but still thinks he needs three million dollars of the Australian publics money, to pay his legal fees for the right to be a bigot. Were better than that. Lets out-raise him and spend that money in a way that makes Australia a more inclusive, tolerant nation.

Make Australia Tolerant Again! Put Izzy in a Tizzy!

Please pass this message on to everyone you know, give what you can, and follow us on social media so we can tell you how were getting on.

Thank you. I feel better already.

https://americanprimerweekly.com/put-izzy-in-a-tizzy/

George Grundy Independent Journalist and Blogger