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4 months ago
23
A controversial queer Sydney stylist has called a rugby league player with vile homophobic tattoos 'a gay icon' and copied his ink as part of a long-running campaign to reclaim a derogatory word.
Joshua Taylor-Myles, a 23-year-old hooker for Cronulla Junior Rugby League club Aquinas Colts in Sydney's south-west, sparked uproar last month after it was revealed he had 'eat sh** fa***t' and 'snort lines and f***' inked on his thighs.
About a fortnight after Daily Mail Australia revealed Taylor-Myles' identity, he confirmed that he had finally covered up the offensive ink during a birthday trip to Bali.
Now Sydney-based stylist and art director Kurt Johnson, who has worked with English singer Charli XCX, Swedish dance music star COBRAH and is followed by former Australian basketball star Liz Cambage, has revealed his copycat ink.
Johnson shared the matching tattoos with comedy social media channel Brown Cardigan, tattoo channel Questionable Life Decisions and Taylor-Myles himself.
In a message to the football player, Johnson wrote: 'literally obsessed with you babe'.
'IDK [I don't know] if you know, but u kinda became a gay icon for that yatt [sic] bro,' he added with a love eyes emoji.
Taylor-Myles replied, writing: 'go hard son'.
Sydney-based stylist and art director Kurt Johnson (pictured) wants to reclaim the word 'fa***t'
Johnson said that Taylor-Myles had become a 'gay icon' because of his tattoos
Johnson previously wrote an article for Australian queer-focused magazine Boy! Incognito where he detailed his past and his mission to reclaim the word 'fa***t'.
The LGBTQIA+ community reclaimed the word 'queer' by transforming it from a term of mockery into one of empowerment and self-identification.
Johnson wants the same to happen with the word 'fa***t', turning it into a symbol of power and pride.
Taylor-Myles recently posted a photo of himself grinning outside Bali's Finns beach club with his shorts hitched-up to show off a fresh growling bear and Viking motif covering his upper legs and the offensive tattoos.
'Gone but not forgotten,' he captioned the image.
The reveal came after he was given an ultimatum to cover up the offensive tattoos or face a ban from any NSWRL competition.
A NSWRL spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that he received an official warning and was asked to cover the tattoos.
'The NSWRL and Cronulla JRL are committed to providing a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for all people, including those of diverse sexualities and genders,' the spokesperson said.
Johnson shared his tatts on Instagram - and it's not the first time he has had the offensive word inked on his body
Taylor-Myles travelled to Bali and had the offensive tattoos covered up on his birthday
The tattoos caused an uproar after Taylor-Myles was selected to play in the NSWRL Luke Lewis Cup, and images of his tattoos went viral.
The Aquinas Colts, a Cronulla feeder club, only became aware of the offensive tattoos when photos circulated on social media.
At least two images of Taylor-Myles' legs were removed from the club's social media pages following backlash.
Club members criticised the handling of the situation, with one former member saying, 'He should get the boot from the club if he refuses to cover those tattoos.'
Another said, 'He wouldn't be playing if I was still at the club.'
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