Wests Tigers have issued Adam Doueihi with a "please-explain" after he called a social media post about LGBTQI inclusion in sport "embarrassing".
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But the Tigers five-eighth denied he had intended to belittle the LGBTQI community with his since-deleted Instagram comment.
Doueihi replied to a post on the English Premier League's Instagram page that had the heading "How to speak about LGBTQ+ inclusion".
The upload came as part of Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign, through which the EPL promotes LGBTQI inclusion with a variety of initiatives between December 2 and 7.
Doueihi commented "embarrassing post" under the upload, which featured prompts for discussing LGBTQI inclusion.
The 25-year-old later deleted the comment, but not before it had garnered more than 9000 likes.
The Tigers have not launched a formal investigation into the comment, but called Doueihi on Sunday for an explanation.
Doueihi told the club he perceived the post to be dictating what people could say to the LGBTQI community, which he found "embarrassing".
He said he deleted his comment after realising it could have been misconstrued as homophobic.
A club representative told AAP the Tigers were an inclusive club that would remain a safe space for fans and players.
The NRL integrity unit has not been involved in the matter.
In October, Doueihi voiced his support for a Sydney Catholic girls' school's decision to block students from bringing female dates to their Year 12 formal.
Doueihi was raised and identifies as a Christian.
The playmaker is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in April, but last month coach Benji Marshall said he could feature at some point in the 2024 season.
Australian Associated Press
