Disgraced Rugby Union star Israel Folau’s GoFundMe campaign has been shut down; Folau was raising money for his legal fight against Rugby Australia. Before the fundraiser was sacked, it had racked up $700,000 of donations.
“After a routine period of evaluation, we have concluded that this campaign violates our terms of service,” GoFundMe’s regional manager in Australia Nicola Britton shared.
Britton emphasised that GoFundMe is “absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity.”
“While we welcome GoFundMe’s engaging in diverse civil debate, we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.
“Our platform exists to help people help others. Australians have shown themselves to be among the most kind and generous people in the world. We look forward to helping more Australians fundraise for causes they care about in the coming months and years.”
Israel Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia after he made a slew of homophobic posts to his various social media accounts.
Earlier this month it was revealed that Folau was seeking up to $10 million compensation. Folau’s lawyers will argue that it is unlawful to terminate his contract on the basis of religion.
Lawyers are set to argue that the post was written in a “loving gesture” and fullback was “compelled to communicate the word of God and the message contained within the Bible.”
