GoFundMe have suspended the fundraising page supporting the legal fees of former Australia Rugby Union full-back Isreal Folau. The company say the campaign violated their terms and conditions regarding LGBTIQ+ rights. Folau claims the company 'buckled'.
Folau had his contract terminated by Rugby Australia following his posting of homophobic messages on social media. The ex-Waratah intends to appeal and was using the site to raise funds to finance that. The campaign was launched last week, with the target set at A$3 million.
The fund had reached over A$750,000 before it was suspended.
His fundraising campaign attracted much derision online, particularly as Folau was on a contract said to be worth A$5 million. According to Australian media the dual-code star also owns a multi-million dollar property portfolio in Sydney and Brisbane. Folau claimed he and his wife have spent in excess of A$100,000 on the appeal already and hence the need for the GoFundMe page.
Support
Drew Mitchell, himself a former teammate of Folau and now a commentator, made his feelings clear on Twitter. The message garnered plenty of support from current and former rugby players. It was liked over 52,000 times.
YOU are in a fight that YOU chose to be in after YOU broke the terms of YOUR contract, the kids below are in a fight they NEVER wanted to be in & yet YOU think YOU deserve donations more than they do??!!
It’s no longer about religion, it’s about YOU and YOUR greed.@IzzyFolau 🤦🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/mdywzaw1ha— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) June 21, 2019
On Monday, GoFundMe said it was removing Folau's campaign from its website and refunding the thousands of dollars already donated.
"After a routine period of evaluation, we have concluded that this campaign violates our terms of service," said Nicola Britton, of GoFundMe Australia.
"As a company, we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity. While we welcome GoFundMe engaging in diverse civil debate, we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.
Buckled
A spokesperson for the former Wallaby says the crowdfunding website has 'buckled' to the pressure.
"Unfortunately, GoFundMe has buckled to demands against the freedom of Australians to donate to his cause.
"There appears to be a continuing campaign of discrimination against Israel and his supporters."
"Israel Folau is very grateful to the 10,000-plus supporters who believed in good faith that their donations would contribute to his case against Rugby Australia."
The spokesperson also claimed Folau's personal website was subject to a cyber attack.
