The former South Sydney and Manly ont rower told the world he was gay 1995 a landmark announcement that shocked Atralia.
Contents:
- IAN ROBERTS SAYS HE RECEIVED HORRIFIC HOMOPHOBIC ABE AS THE FIRST NRL STAR TO E OUT AS GAY
- IAN ROBERTS SPEAKS ABOUT BEG AN OPENLY GAY MAN THE NRL, THE TRAGEDY THAT MA HIM E OUT
- DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
IAN ROBERTS SAYS HE RECEIVED HORRIFIC HOMOPHOBIC ABE AS THE FIRST NRL STAR TO E OUT AS GAY
* gay nrl player ian *
Ian Roberts is happy to be known as "that gay footballer" but even happier that he is no longer the only one. The former ont-rower is the days remembered and revered as a trailblazer for the gay muny after he urageoly me out the mid 1990s.
IAN ROBERTS SPEAKS ABOUT BEG AN OPENLY GAY MAN THE NRL, THE TRAGEDY THAT MA HIM E OUT
Former Manly player Ian Roberts was the first openly gay NRL player - he hop the ntroversy around their pri short sparks more discsn about LGBTQ reprentatn the sport. * gay nrl player ian *
I ma a cisn before we went that I was gog to go on the tour as a gay man, I wasn't gog to pretend that I wasn't. I unrstand to a lot of people I'm "that gay footballer". Myself and three or four other actors put the boys very awkward suatns around misogyny, racism, homophobia, dgs that they n fd themselv , real life.
Bashed the street, attacked by fans and shunned by teammat: Ian Roberts opens up on the homophobia he faced after beg the first gby league star the world to e out as gayThe former Sydney and Manly ont rower told the world he was gay 1995 Shortly after, he was knocked out by two thugs at Sydney Harbour and abedRoberts, now 55 and a relatnship wh a school teacher, said changed him Published: 15:43 BST, 15 April 2021 | Updated: 16:54 BST, 15 April 2021.
Pictured: Former NRL player Ian RobertsNRL star Ian Roberts has opened up about the horrific abe and homophobia he alt wh after beg the first gby league player the world to e out as former South Sydney and Manly ont rower told the world he was gay 1995 a landmark announcement that shocked Atralia. Pictured: Former gby league player Ian Roberts on April 4, 1995 - the year he me out as gay Pictured: Ian Roberts playg for the Cowboys durg a NRL match between the Canberra Rairs and the North Queensland Cowboys held at Bce Stadium May 17, 1998The Sea Eagl star wrtled the culpr to the ground before secury tervened and they were charged wh also relled a time durg an terstate trip where his roommate - a well known player who Roberts would not intify - said he felt 'unfortable' sharg a room bee 'Ian is a f***ot'. Even when I was at Souths, everyone knew I was gay, ' he player said he wanted to e out 1990 when he left South Sydney for Manly, but when he saw the way the prs treated English soccer player Jt Fashanu, he rensired.
DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
'There was a new gay magaze at the time and I did other magaze terviews. Pictured: Ex Rugby league player and Actor Ian Roberts and Ben Prix attend the openg night of 'The Trocks' at the State Theatre on October 5, 2005 Sydney Pictured: Former NRL player Ian Roberts is seen takg part the 38th annual Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras para, Sydney, March 5, 2016'I ed to feel for my mum and dad at gam bee people would scream s**t out - I was worried they had to hear that but there are certa thgs you n't protect your fay om. Roberts has been a relatnship wh a school teacher named Daniel for 15 years, and says would be 'naive' to thk there were not players petg now who are homosexual.
His advice to young gay players was to 'make sure you feel fortable'.
Drove his parents away om his gam, Ian Roberts, the first gby league player the world to e out as gay, says the slurs om the crowds spurred him to beg one of the most aggrsive players the game. “At Souths I was never openly gay but was always the worst kept secret. Ian Roberts go through some stretch durg his Rabbohs News Corp AtraliaTHE REACTION TO COMING OUTRoberts me out publicly as gay 1994 after havg moved to Manly four years earlier.