Gay cricket star Megan Schutt slams ‘furiatg’ myth

Contents:

• ATRALIAN CRICKET STAR ELYSE VILLANI OPENS UP ABOUT WHAT BEG GAY MEANS FOR HER AS A PRO ATHLETE
• GAY CRICKETER STEVE DAVI'S G OUT REFLECTS CHANGG ATTUS MORN PROFSNAL SPORT
• ATRALIAN CRICKETER JAM FLKNER REVEALS HE IS GAY ON HIS 29TH BIRTHDAY
• GAY CRICKET STAR ALEX BLACKWELL SAYS SHE’S TIRED OF LBIANS SPORT BEG ‘PROFILED AS PREDATORS’
• THE GAY ATRALIAN CRICKET CHAMPNS AND TEAMMAT JT GOT MARRIED
• GAY ATRALIAN CRICKET PLAYER SAYS SHE FEELS LIKE SEND-CLASS CIZEN
• CRICKETER JAM FLKNER SAYS HE IS NOT GAY AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA 'MISUNRSTANDG'
• SPORTHEATH DAVIS BE FIRST CURRENT OR FORMER NEW ZEALAND MEN'S CRICKETER TO E OUT AS GAY
• HEATH DAVIS BE FIRST MALE NEW ZEALAND CRICKETER TO E OUT AS GAY
• THE ATRALIAN ATHLET CHAMPNG LGBTIQ+ PRI SPORTFOURTEEN ATHLET ACROSS 10 SPORTS ARE JOG TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM, LNCHED ON TUDAY.THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER. SOURCE: AAPATRALIAN ARTISTIC GYMNAST HEATH THORPE SAYS GROWG TO HIS INTY MEANT CREATG A PATHWAY THAT WASN’T “ALREADY THERE”. THORPE, 21, HAS BEEN VOLVED GYMNASTICS FOR 14 YEARS, REPRENTG ATRALIA AT WORLD CUPS AND WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS. HE SAYS HE IS ONE OF FEW OPENLY GAY GYMNASTS, BOTH ATRALIA AND TERNATNALLY.COMG TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY MEANT, AT FIRST, FACG A STEREOTYPE WH THE SPORT. “IT HAS BEEN AN TERTG PATHWAY … I KNOW WHEN I WAS GROWG UP THAT I WAS MET WH A LOT OF MENTS ABOUT GYMNASTICS BEG FOR GIRLS, OR BEG FOR GAY PEOPLE,” THORPE TOLD SBS NEWS. “FOR ME TO REALISE MY INTY WAS A B OF STGGLE, BEE I HAD ALMOST NOT WANTED TO PERPETUATE A STEREOTYPE THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD MY WHOLE LIFE. SO THAT WAS AN TERNAL STGGLE SELF.“AND EVEN SO NOW, I AM STILL ONE OF THE ONLY OPENLY GAY GYMANASTS ON AN TERNATNAL LEVEL.”READ MOREHOW LGBTQI+ AFL FANS HAVE BAND TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORK OF PRI GROUPSWH THE SPORTG WORLD, HE SAID HAS BEEN PLITED "CREATG A PATHWAY THAT ISN'T ALREADY THERE". “IT HAS BEEN QUE TERTG EXPLORG THAT AND UNRSTANDG THAT - PECIALLY AT A YOUNG AGE,” HE SAID."I ME OUT TO THE MEDIA WHEN I WAS 18 WHOUT EVEN NECSARILY REALISG THE ENORMY OF . I THK ’S JT THAT A LOT OF FIRSTS ARE HARD TO NAVIGATE.”HEATH THORPE PICTURED ANTWERP, BELGIUM NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDTHORPE IS NOW AMONG 14 ATHLET G TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM. HE SS ALONGSI GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE, WHO IS ALSO OPENLY GAY. LNCHED ON TUDAY, NSULTATN WH NATNAL NOT-FOR-PROF SPORTG CLN PROGRAM PRI SPORT AND PROUD 2 PLAY, THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVI SAFE AND CLIVE SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL ATHLET. MATTI CLEMENTS, AIS’ ACTG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SAID THE PROGRAM WILL EQUIP AMBASSADORS WH THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO SPEAK WH LOL SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS ON LGBTIQ+ AWARENS, ACTIVE ALLYSHIP AND CLIVY. “THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT RAISG AWARENS AROUND THE LGBTIQ+ POPULATN, AND SPORT BEG A GREAT VEHICLE TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS WHICH, TO BE ANK, WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE AT ALL TIM OVER THE LAST UPLE OF YEARS,” MS CLEMENTS SAID. “I THK, HISTORILLY, SOME OF THE NVERSATNS HAVEN'T BEEN HAD POTENTIALLY BEE PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN OTHERS LIKE THEM. AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE N RELATE TO OTHERS, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A NVERSATN ABOUT WHO THEY ARE. “SO, A PROGRAM SUCH AS THRIVE PRI CREAT THAT NVERSATN.”ROWIE WEBSTER, PICTURED DURG THE 2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAM TOKYO, IS ALSO A PROGRAM AMBASSADOR. SOURCE: SPORTSFILE VIA GETTY IMAGPRI SPORT INX -FOUNR ANDREW PURCHAS SAID IS EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM AND THE AIS’ LEARSHIP LEVERAGG HIGH-PERFORMANCE ATHLET TO ENGAGE WH SPORTG MUNI. “IT IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL TO HAVE ELE ATHLET AND ACH EMPOWERED  TO TALK TO THEIR PEERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CLN,” HE SAID. “THE THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM WILL ENURAGE RPECTFUL, TED AND CLIVE MUNITN BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS AND ATRALIAN SPORTG MUNI; BUILDG TST, FOSTERG CHANGE TO PROVI A SAFE AND CLIVE PLACE FOR ATHLET TO THRIVE SPORT.”READ MOREWHY THIS ATRALIAN WANTS TO LNCH THE WORLD GAY BOXG CHAMPNSHIPSTHE PROGRAM AMBASSADORS PRISE LGBTIQ+ ATHLET AND ALLI OM ACROSS 10 SPORTS, CLUDG TWO-TIME OLYMPIC DIVER MATTHEW MCHAM, FORMER RUGBY SEVENS PTA SHARNI WILLIAMS AND NON-BARY SHOT-PUTTER MARIA STRONG, WHO MA THEIR PARALYMBIC BATE TOKYO LAST YEAR. ALSO AMONG THEM IS THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER, WHO SAYS HER VOLVEMENT IS ALL ABOUT STARTG NVERSATNS A SAFE SPACE. “I KNEW FOR A LONG TIME THAT I WAS GAY, AND I CERTALY DIDN’T FEEL ALL THAT FORTABLE G OUT - JT THE SPORTG WORLD,” SHE TOLD SBS NEWS. “THERE WEREN’T MANY ROLE MOLS THAT I KNEW OF THAT WERE LIKE ME.”ROWIE WEBSTER IS PICTURED AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ATRALIAN WOMENS WATER POLO TEAM FOR THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS. SOURCE: AAPWH A SUPPORT WORK AROUND HER, WEBSTER SAYS SHE WAS ABLE TO REALISE HER THENTIC SELF AND IS NOW THRIVG. BUT SHE ACKNOWLEDG MANY OTHERS HAVEN’T HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. “I THK I'VE BEEN A PRIVILEGED POSN WHERE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, AND I HAVEN'T HAD DISCRIMATN TOWARDS ME. BUT I CERTALY KNOW OF OTHER ATHLET AND PEOPLE THE GREATER MUNY WHO HAVE,” SHE SAID. “SO I THK THAT'S WHAT OUR ROLE IS NOW; TO TRY TO OVERE THOSE BARRIERS AND THOSE CHALLENG, AND MAKE MORE OF AN ACCEPTED THG [NVERSATN] TO HAVE.“WE WANT TO START HEALTHY NVERSATNS, HAVE A REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS, AND ALSO TO TE SPORTG ANISATNS TO BETTER SUPPORT THEIR ATHLET. AND ALSO, I THK THAT WILL HAVE A REAL RIPPLE EFFECT TO THE MUNY."READ MORE'FOOTBALL IS FOR EVERYBODY': WORLD REACTS TO FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO G OUT AS GAYTHORPE AGRE THAT TN IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS PROGRS AND EQUALY FOR QUEER ATHLET. “I THK THAT OFTEN, A LOT OF IGNORANCE OR MISRMATN JT OM MISUNRSTANDG. SO, PEOPLE DON’T FEEL FORTABLE NECSARILY SUPPORTG OR ENGAGG WH A SPACE THEY DON’T UNRSTAND,” HE SAID. “SO ’S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CCIAL TO TE OM A YOUNG AGE, AND TO TE OM THE TOP AS WELL.” ULTIMATELY, HE HOP TO ENURAGE YOUNG QUEER ATHLET TO “NOT WALK AWAY” OM THEIR SPORT. "SPORT IS A SPACE FOR EVERYONE, AND TO ME, 'S A MEANS FOR MOVEMENT AND HEALTH AND MUNY, AND NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE NIED THAT," HE SAID.“I JT HOPE THAT BY PUTTG THIS PROGRAM OUT THERE, THAT YOUNG QUEER KIDS N E TO THE SPORT, AND ’S A SPACE FOR THEM [WHERE] THEY FEEL WELE AND THEY N PLAY THE SPORT THAT THEY LOVE. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.” LGBTIQ+ ATRALIANS SEEKG SUPPORT N NTACT QLIFE ON 1800 184 527 OR VIS .  ALSO HAS A LIST OF SUPPORT SERVIC.SHARE6 M READPUBLISHED 1 FEBARY 2022 6:40AMUPDATED 1 FEBARY 2022 7:23AMBY EMMA BRANTISANOSOURCE: SBS NEWSSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS
• ATRALIAN CRICKET STAR ELYSE VILLANI OPENS UP ABOUT WHAT BEG GAY MEANS FOR HER AS A PRO ATHLETE
• GAY CRICKET STAR MEGAN SCHUTT SLAMS ‘FURIATG’ MYTH

ATRALIAN CRICKET STAR ELYSE VILLANI OPENS UP ABOUT WHAT BEG GAY MEANS FOR HER AS A PRO ATHLETE

FOR most people, changg their Twter profile is not a signifint then there’s Atralian Women’s Cricket player Elyse Villani, who ma the cisn to add the le ‘Proud Gay Athlete’ to her social media didn’t gge the opn of all her iends and fay before htg the ed button.

SIGN UP NOW >Elyse Villani hs out durg the World Cup match agast Getty ImagVillani has reprented Atralia 69 match all three formats of the game and is an unassumg and urageo role is one of very few openly gay athlet to reprent Atralia at a World Cup and at last year’s R Olympics there was only one openly gay Atralian athlete, Matilda Michelle n listen to the full terview on the Atralian Cricket Podst here or iTun. Villani took some time out of her by World Cup Campaign to speak on the Atralian Cricket Podst and says she ma the cisn to e out publicly after beg on the sportg float at the 2015 Sydney Gay & Lbian Mardi Gras wh fellow Atralian Women’s cricketer Alex Blackwell.

GAY CRICKETER STEVE DAVI'S G OUT REFLECTS CHANGG ATTUS MORN PROFSNAL SPORT

Blackwell, the Atralian Women’s Vice-pta, was the first openly gay Atralian cricketer to wear the baggy green and Villani has no regrets about the cisn to follow her footsteps.

ATRALIAN CRICKETER JAM FLKNER REVEALS HE IS GAY ON HIS 29TH BIRTHDAY

Villani celebrat the wicket of England's Natalie APHer cisn to e out publicly displayed the sort of gr and termatn that has seen her bounce back om an early reer axg to now feature at the top of Atralian Women’s how important is to be one of the few openly gay athlet to reprent Atralia at a World Cup?

When England wicketkeeper Steve Davi ed the ter to publicly announce he was a homosexual this week, he joed a growg list of openly gay athlet who have slowly changed attus profsnal is the 21st century, not only are announcements such as Davi's unlikely to brg any ill-feelg om the wir sportg muny, they are jt as monly embraced by both gay and non-gay cizens as a symbol of sexual equaly. However, 's been a slow journey for society to move to a pot where gay sportg ins like former Wal ternatnal Gareth Thomas are the spiratn for movi and Atralian swimmg in, Stephanie Rice, is forced to make a public apology for g the word "faggot" on Amerin footballer David Pokay is regard as one of the first profsnal athlet to nfirm his homosexualy, havg ma the announcement 1975 - three years after retirg om the NFL was reported that Kopay - who addrsed the issue his ntroversial 1977 tobgraphy, The David Kopay Story - was allegedly nied posns as a profsnal and llege football ach due to his sexual great Marta Navratilova is another player who is likely to have received greater endorsement as a lbian player the morn era of profsnal announcg she was gay 1981, a disappoted Navratilova spoke of an article that said she would "pick my doubl partner so I uld look at her bum" meang remarks such as the have ntued to dimish by the years, not least wh the Atralian sportg muny. Perhaps the watershed moment for gay equaly Atralian sport me 1995, when Ian Roberts beme the first profsnal gby league player to announce his homosexualy.

GAY CRICKET STAR ALEX BLACKWELL SAYS SHE’S TIRED OF LBIANS SPORT BEG ‘PROFILED AS PREDATORS’

The former Kangaroos forward was still playg at the Kopay and Navratilova are nsired by many to have suffered profsnally for their public revelatns, Roberts has sce bee an Atralian sportg Roberts me out, was such huge news that NRL Footy Show panellists Pl Vt, Peter Sterlg and Steve Roach were moved to appear a poster mpaign agast worked - more recently, golfer Karrie Webb and former Olympic swimmer Daniel Kowalski are exampl of gay Atralian athlet who raised ltle attentn parison to their need to mpaign agast homophobia no longer exists.

THE GAY ATRALIAN CRICKET CHAMPNS AND TEAMMAT JT GOT MARRIED

It really is no big goln girl Rice isn't the only Asie sportg star to receive a public pastg for gay sensivy recent tim; jt last year, AFL footballer Jason Akermanis suggted was gay players' bt terts to "stay the closet". "I believe would e disfort that environment should someone clare himself gay, " Akermanis wrote at the Aker was nounced by many gay rights activists, was the AFL and his then-club Wtern Bulldogs' quick efforts to remove themselv om the ments that h home the announcements such as Davi' rema an anomaly, the morn attus will creasgly see that the stori are treated as non-issu, while sensive ments such as those ma by Akermanis and Rice are now what dictat ont-page news.

Gee Cecil Iv (1 October 1867 Germany – 4 June 1950) was an English poet, wrer, penal reformer and early homosexual law reform mpaigner. Gay sportsmen. The all-rounr had won the Man of the Match award the 2015 World Cup fal which Atralia had won by beatg New Zealand by 7 many sportspersons have e out the open the past revealg their gay inty, the number of such stanc cricket, pecially the men’s sectn, has been srce.

GAY ATRALIAN CRICKET PLAYER SAYS SHE FEELS LIKE SEND-CLASS CIZEN

In 2011, former England ternatnal Steven Davi beme the sport’s first active profsnal player to announce that he is gay. Seven years ago, Alex Blackwell beme the first female ternatnal cricket player to publicly e out as gay. Sce then, she’s fought tirelsly for LGBTQ equaly her native Atralia, and rpect for gay female athlet.

And yet, as a gay person, she still feels she is beg valued. Three s after his Tt but, Heath Davis has bee the first male New Zealand ternatnal cricketer to e out as pots:Heath Davis played five Tts and 11 one day ternatnals for the Black CapsHe said his club teammat Auckland were aware that he was gayDavis is one of very few men's cricketers to e out, followg English wicketkeeper Steven Davi 2011Davis played five Tts and 11 One Day Internatnals (ODIs) for the Black Caps, and had a lengthy first-class reer domtic cricket as a fiery pace bowler. "Everyone Auckland knew I was gay, the team, but didn't seem to be that big an issue, " he said.

CRICKETER JAM FLKNER SAYS HE IS NOT GAY AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA 'MISUNRSTANDG'

Former New Zealand Tt player Heath Davis has bee the untry’s first male ternatnal cricketer to publicly speak about beg, 50, played five Tts and 11 one-day ternatnals for the Black Caps between 1994 and 1997 and was known as an timidatg, if nsistent, pace s after his Tt but, Davis publicly revealed his sexualy for the first time, an episo of the documentary seri Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sportg first ternatnal male cricketer to e out publicly was the former England wicketkeeper Steven Davi was durg Davis’s first tour to England 1994 when he started to really disver himself, he told The Spoff, though he had told his mother at an early age he was gay. ”He gused some of his teammat knew he was gay before he told a uple of them 1997 but he was never qutned about .

SPORTHEATH DAVIS BE FIRST CURRENT OR FORMER NEW ZEALAND MEN'S CRICKETER TO E OUT AS GAY

“I certaly wasn’t livg a gay life, wasn’t part of the scene, didn’t have a partner. There was nothg to tie to, if you know what I mean, ” Davis entered his first gay relatnship when he was 27 years old, while playg for Wellgton, but he was reluctant to appear public as a uple.

HEATH DAVIS BE FIRST MALE NEW ZEALAND CRICKETER TO E OUT AS GAY

When an offer of a ntract me om Auckland, Davis saw an opportuny to move away om the cy he did not felt fortable beg out the uple ma the move to Auckland, Davis told his new team’s manager he was gay, which was passed on to his team members and “didn’t seem to be that big an issue” is now on a new journey – one that exists tensn wh his sexualy.

Photograph: supplied by Heath DavisAn ternatnal study on homophobia sport, released May, revealed that New Zealand gay and bisexual men were the most likely to keep their sexualy secret both youth and adult sports, wh many sayg they feared bullyg om teammat and discrimatn om ach and than half of all participants believed team sport is more homophobic than the rt of New Zealand society, while gay men were much more likely to believe this (69%) than anyone Wellgton Firebirds player, Stephen Mather, said Davis told him about his sexualy 1997, when there were no other outwardly gay men playg first class cricket at that time.

”Homophobic attus sport still very much exist, said Malee Chapman, The Spoff’s edor and producer of the documentary seri. And this XI all have one thg mon – they are gay.

THE ATRALIAN ATHLET CHAMPNG LGBTIQ+ PRI SPORTFOURTEEN ATHLET ACROSS 10 SPORTS ARE JOG TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM, LNCHED ON TUDAY.THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER. SOURCE: AAPATRALIAN ARTISTIC GYMNAST HEATH THORPE SAYS GROWG TO HIS INTY MEANT CREATG A PATHWAY THAT WASN’T “ALREADY THERE”. THORPE, 21, HAS BEEN VOLVED GYMNASTICS FOR 14 YEARS, REPRENTG ATRALIA AT WORLD CUPS AND WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS. HE SAYS HE IS ONE OF FEW OPENLY GAY GYMNASTS, BOTH ATRALIA AND TERNATNALLY.COMG TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY MEANT, AT FIRST, FACG A STEREOTYPE WH THE SPORT. “IT HAS BEEN AN TERTG PATHWAY … I KNOW WHEN I WAS GROWG UP THAT I WAS MET WH A LOT OF MENTS ABOUT GYMNASTICS BEG FOR GIRLS, OR BEG FOR GAY PEOPLE,” THORPE TOLD SBS NEWS. “FOR ME TO REALISE MY INTY WAS A B OF STGGLE, BEE I HAD ALMOST NOT WANTED TO PERPETUATE A STEREOTYPE THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD MY WHOLE LIFE. SO THAT WAS AN TERNAL STGGLE SELF.“AND EVEN SO NOW, I AM STILL ONE OF THE ONLY OPENLY GAY GYMANASTS ON AN TERNATNAL LEVEL.”READ MOREHOW LGBTQI+ AFL FANS HAVE BAND TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORK OF PRI GROUPSWH THE SPORTG WORLD, HE SAID HAS BEEN PLITED "CREATG A PATHWAY THAT ISN'T ALREADY THERE". “IT HAS BEEN QUE TERTG EXPLORG THAT AND UNRSTANDG THAT - PECIALLY AT A YOUNG AGE,” HE SAID."I ME OUT TO THE MEDIA WHEN I WAS 18 WHOUT EVEN NECSARILY REALISG THE ENORMY OF . I THK ’S JT THAT A LOT OF FIRSTS ARE HARD TO NAVIGATE.”HEATH THORPE PICTURED ANTWERP, BELGIUM NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDTHORPE IS NOW AMONG 14 ATHLET G TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM. HE SS ALONGSI GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE, WHO IS ALSO OPENLY GAY. LNCHED ON TUDAY, NSULTATN WH NATNAL NOT-FOR-PROF SPORTG CLN PROGRAM PRI SPORT AND PROUD 2 PLAY, THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVI SAFE AND CLIVE SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL ATHLET. MATTI CLEMENTS, AIS’ ACTG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SAID THE PROGRAM WILL EQUIP AMBASSADORS WH THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO SPEAK WH LOL SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS ON LGBTIQ+ AWARENS, ACTIVE ALLYSHIP AND CLIVY. “THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT RAISG AWARENS AROUND THE LGBTIQ+ POPULATN, AND SPORT BEG A GREAT VEHICLE TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS WHICH, TO BE ANK, WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE AT ALL TIM OVER THE LAST UPLE OF YEARS,” MS CLEMENTS SAID. “I THK, HISTORILLY, SOME OF THE NVERSATNS HAVEN'T BEEN HAD POTENTIALLY BEE PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN OTHERS LIKE THEM. AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE N RELATE TO OTHERS, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A NVERSATN ABOUT WHO THEY ARE. “SO, A PROGRAM SUCH AS THRIVE PRI CREAT THAT NVERSATN.”ROWIE WEBSTER, PICTURED DURG THE 2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAM TOKYO, IS ALSO A PROGRAM AMBASSADOR. SOURCE: SPORTSFILE VIA GETTY IMAGPRI SPORT INX -FOUNR ANDREW PURCHAS SAID IS EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM AND THE AIS’ LEARSHIP LEVERAGG HIGH-PERFORMANCE ATHLET TO ENGAGE WH SPORTG MUNI. “IT IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL TO HAVE ELE ATHLET AND ACH EMPOWERED  TO TALK TO THEIR PEERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CLN,” HE SAID. “THE THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM WILL ENURAGE RPECTFUL, TED AND CLIVE MUNITN BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS AND ATRALIAN SPORTG MUNI; BUILDG TST, FOSTERG CHANGE TO PROVI A SAFE AND CLIVE PLACE FOR ATHLET TO THRIVE SPORT.”READ MOREWHY THIS ATRALIAN WANTS TO LNCH THE WORLD GAY BOXG CHAMPNSHIPSTHE PROGRAM AMBASSADORS PRISE LGBTIQ+ ATHLET AND ALLI OM ACROSS 10 SPORTS, CLUDG TWO-TIME OLYMPIC DIVER MATTHEW MCHAM, FORMER RUGBY SEVENS PTA SHARNI WILLIAMS AND NON-BARY SHOT-PUTTER MARIA STRONG, WHO MA THEIR PARALYMBIC BATE TOKYO LAST YEAR. ALSO AMONG THEM IS THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER, WHO SAYS HER VOLVEMENT IS ALL ABOUT STARTG NVERSATNS A SAFE SPACE. “I KNEW FOR A LONG TIME THAT I WAS GAY, AND I CERTALY DIDN’T FEEL ALL THAT FORTABLE G OUT - JT THE SPORTG WORLD,” SHE TOLD SBS NEWS. “THERE WEREN’T MANY ROLE MOLS THAT I KNEW OF THAT WERE LIKE ME.”ROWIE WEBSTER IS PICTURED AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ATRALIAN WOMENS WATER POLO TEAM FOR THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS. SOURCE: AAPWH A SUPPORT WORK AROUND HER, WEBSTER SAYS SHE WAS ABLE TO REALISE HER THENTIC SELF AND IS NOW THRIVG. BUT SHE ACKNOWLEDG MANY OTHERS HAVEN’T HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. “I THK I'VE BEEN A PRIVILEGED POSN WHERE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, AND I HAVEN'T HAD DISCRIMATN TOWARDS ME. BUT I CERTALY KNOW OF OTHER ATHLET AND PEOPLE THE GREATER MUNY WHO HAVE,” SHE SAID. “SO I THK THAT'S WHAT OUR ROLE IS NOW; TO TRY TO OVERE THOSE BARRIERS AND THOSE CHALLENG, AND MAKE MORE OF AN ACCEPTED THG [NVERSATN] TO HAVE.“WE WANT TO START HEALTHY NVERSATNS, HAVE A REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS, AND ALSO TO TE SPORTG ANISATNS TO BETTER SUPPORT THEIR ATHLET. AND ALSO, I THK THAT WILL HAVE A REAL RIPPLE EFFECT TO THE MUNY."READ MORE'FOOTBALL IS FOR EVERYBODY': WORLD REACTS TO FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO G OUT AS GAYTHORPE AGRE THAT TN IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS PROGRS AND EQUALY FOR QUEER ATHLET. “I THK THAT OFTEN, A LOT OF IGNORANCE OR MISRMATN JT OM MISUNRSTANDG. SO, PEOPLE DON’T FEEL FORTABLE NECSARILY SUPPORTG OR ENGAGG WH A SPACE THEY DON’T UNRSTAND,” HE SAID. “SO ’S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CCIAL TO TE OM A YOUNG AGE, AND TO TE OM THE TOP AS WELL.” ULTIMATELY, HE HOP TO ENURAGE YOUNG QUEER ATHLET TO “NOT WALK AWAY” OM THEIR SPORT. "SPORT IS A SPACE FOR EVERYONE, AND TO ME, 'S A MEANS FOR MOVEMENT AND HEALTH AND MUNY, AND NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE NIED THAT," HE SAID.“I JT HOPE THAT BY PUTTG THIS PROGRAM OUT THERE, THAT YOUNG QUEER KIDS N E TO THE SPORT, AND ’S A SPACE FOR THEM [WHERE] THEY FEEL WELE AND THEY N PLAY THE SPORT THAT THEY LOVE. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.” LGBTIQ+ ATRALIANS SEEKG SUPPORT N NTACT QLIFE ON 1800 184 527 OR VIS .  ALSO HAS A LIST OF SUPPORT SERVIC.SHARE6 M READPUBLISHED 1 FEBARY 2022 6:40AMUPDATED 1 FEBARY 2022 7:23AMBY EMMA BRANTISANOSOURCE: SBS NEWSSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS

Set up 1996 wh the aim of providg an “opportuny for people to watch and play cricket irrpective of genr or sexual orientatn, ” a world where beg gay wasn’t always accepted, Grac have bee a haven for people to e to terms wh their sexualy while also allowg them to play cricket. They’ve often e om societi where is illegal to be gay and the opportuny to meet like-md dividuals is somethg that Sam Nimaiyar, who was born India, has valued immensely. But for Chris Sherwood – the club’s prs and publicy officer – beg able to play cricket and not stand out for beg gay is one of Grac’ unique appeal.

“It’s nice not to be ‘the gay one, ’” Sherwood said.

ATRALIAN CRICKET STAR ELYSE VILLANI OPENS UP ABOUT WHAT BEG GAY MEANS FOR HER AS A PRO ATHLETE

“I always feel like if I was a straight team, ’s like ‘oh Chris, he’s the gay one’ and then I have to e out. “This is the reason ’s difficult for people to e out bee there’s all this banter about gay beg lser somehow and to sudnly go ‘that’s me, I’m gay, ’ ’s que a difficult thg to do.

Modi moved om India to the UK 2004 and although he had known he was gay for the prev 18 months, he’d never had any gay relatnships. Upon movg to London, a batn of his membership at Grac, his new gay iends and his ex-boyiend – whom he still creds for much of the posive aspects of his life – Modi cid to e out to the most important person his life – his dad.

GAY CRICKET STAR MEGAN SCHUTT SLAMS ‘FURIATG’ MYTH

In tradnal Indian culture, where arranged marriag are often the norm, to have an openly gay relative would harm a fay’s abily to attract potentially prospero spo.

Although is timated that the law change affected 104 ln gay Indians, is still not monplace to be openly gay Indian society. Whether is bee of tradnal attus or homophobic beliefs that still permeate through the untry as a rult of relig iologi, the numbers of openly gay people India is disproportnate to the populatn of India.

It’s impossible to ppot a sgular actn that will fively change the perspective of the Indian populatn of the LGBT muny, but speakg to Modi and Nimaiyar, is clear that they believe that havg famo Indian ins – whether they are sports stars or celebri other walks of life – voice their support for the LGBT muny, is somethg that uld signifintly help gay people.