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- #151
'Reduced to breaking point, West shocked fans by severing all ties with the Geelong cheer squad and football club.
The son of late 1963 Cats premiership player Roy West opened up on the 'hellish time' he has endured in a lengthy and emotional statement on Facebook.
'I don't want to be around negative influences and I feel I need to take control of the Catman persona that I've worked hard to create,' his 1,100-word post began.
'I'm an openly gay, confident, loud, abrasive, energetic, creative, colourful and popular person and that sometimes isn't what some sections of the community like.
'I've grown up surrounded by homophobia, prejudice and being targeted. I'm at a stage in my life where I don't think I should be around elements of that nature. In ANY area of my life.'
West told Nine News: 'I don't think I deserve it just for being a crazy cat.'
The more specific issue was around the cheer squad targeting him using some very specific rules about what was allowed and what wasn't - namely the thickness of poles used for flags.
His sexuality was a second tier issue, after the intra-group politics and his upsetting of the nuffy apple cart.