Last month during the final days of Pride Month, Christion Jones, a running back for the Canadian football team, Edmonton Eskimos, posted a homophobic comment on his Twitter page and incited anger and a wide backlash from the LGBTQ community and football fans everywhere.
His tweet said, “Ima keep it this real…. Man ain’t suppose to be with a man. A women is not suppose to be with another women. THATS ME THO! Live life with safety.” He has since deleted the tweet.
After the inflammatory remark, Jones lost his job as he was released from the Eskimos team. In a public statement via Twitter, the Eskimos showed their support for the LGBTQ community and their denunciation of intolerance.
Jones' Twitter profile exploded with comments since the incident while he continued to defend his original statement which is no longer on Twitter. In a follow-up tweet he said, "Difference btw me and you, you and me. I STAND ON WHAT I SAY. Regret nothing. Apologize to who ??? Oh [laughing emojis] Goofy ass people."
The Canadian Football League (CFL) recently released a statement confirming their stance on gay rights and championing diversity. The statement reads, “This League, like this country, prides itself on its diverse makeup. We know that our strength comes from diversity - be that of heritage, orientation, religion, ability, thought, and so much more. This League has a longstanding tradition of welcoming players, people, from all types of backgrounds; from signing the first black quarterback to the first openly gay player, we consider diversity to be an integral part of who we are.”
The former Crimson Tide player has since apologized for his homophobic remark and recently spent time with Edmonton’s LGBTQ2S+ community and talked with community members.
Almost as if foreshadowing what was to come, not even a month before the anti-gay comment, Jones was tweeting things like: “We need more love in this world” and “If I cannot control my words, I cannot control myself.”
Hopefully, Jones had a productive visit with Canada’s LGBTQ community and will spend some time reflecting on his core beliefs and actions. In the words of the man himself, we need more love in this world.