LGBT+ History Month: Super League referee Jam Child speaks publicly about beg gay - BBC Sport

Contents:

• LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE JAM CHILD SPEAKS PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY
• GAY GBY LEAGUE REFEREE LIFTS LID ON HOW G OUT AFFECTED OFFICIATG REER
• JAM CHILD: CHALLENGE CUP FAL OFFICIAL SAYS SPEAKG PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY RELAXED HIM
• JAM CHILD: SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE HAPPY WH REACTN AFTER SPEAKG PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY
• SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE JAM CHILD OPENS UP ON BEG GAY AND REVEALS VILE HOMOPHOBIC ABE
• EX-SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE JAM CHILD SPEAKS OUT ON HOW G OUT AS GAY IMPACTED HIS GBY LEAGUE REER
• NRL GRAND FAL REFEREE MATT CECCH REVEALS HE'S GAY AND SAYS 'S A NON-ISSUE LEAGUE THE DAYS
• RUGBY LEAGUE REFEREE HAPPY WH REACTN AFTER SPEAKG PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY
• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD

LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE JAM CHILD SPEAKS PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY

Child wants to 'help te' people and enurage rpectSuper League referee Jam Child has not spoken publicly about his sexualy before - but this is not his 'g out' 's been a long time sce Child was '' - wh his fay, iends and refereeg lleagu all aware that he's an exclive terview for the BBC's LGBT Sport Podst, Child has bee one of the hight-profile nam gby league to open up about beg gay. "When I n out there and make a cisn, don't matter whether I'm gay or straight.

GAY GBY LEAGUE REFEREE LIFTS LID ON HOW G OUT AFFECTED OFFICIATG REER

"Listen: The LGBT Sport Podst - The one wh Jam Child'If this helps te others, that's great'Child's cisn to talk about his sexualy is driven by a number of is still more than a month to go until the new Super League season starts, which means he n share his story whout worryg about overshadowg any actn on the there's also another many ele officials, Child gets plenty of abe - cludg some of a homophobic nature.

"I'm not sayg that's all to do wh my sexualy, but I certaly thk one, if not two of those, were homophobic.

JAM CHILD: CHALLENGE CUP FAL OFFICIAL SAYS SPEAKG PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY RELAXED HIM

"Child says he's also received homophobic abe durg gam that has been "specifilly directed" at him and not other officials or players.

JAM CHILD: SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE HAPPY WH REACTN AFTER SPEAKG PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY

"By me speakg about this publicly, there n't then be a suatn where somebody is homophobic, but ni knowg I'm gay, " he says. But Child's cisn to talk about his sexualy still ma him a history-maker, as the first Super League referee to publicly reveal he is gay. Gay gby league referee Jam Child has opened up on how revealg his sexualy publicly for the first time 2021 affected his officiatg reerJam Child beme the first Super League referee to announce he was gay 2021 Retired gby league referee Jam Child claims he 'felt more rpect' om players he officiated after revealg his sexualy.

Child, 39, beme the first Super League referee to announce publicly that he was gay Febary 2021.

SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE JAM CHILD OPENS UP ON BEG GAY AND REVEALS VILE HOMOPHOBIC ABE

Child wants to 'help te' people and enurage rpectBeted Challenge CupVenue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Date: Saturday, 28 May Kick-off: 15:00 BST Coverage: Live on BBC One, iPlayer and BBC Sport app, live on BBC Rad 5 Live and lol rad, live text verageJam Child says speakg publicly about beg gay has ma him more at ease as a referee, as he prepar to officiate the Challenge Cup fal for the first his 13th season as an official, Child has twice acted as a vio referee for the showpiece fal. "Super League referee Jam Child speaks publicly about beg gayChild will be supported om the stands by his fiance Steven and son Harris, as well as his parents Col and Patricia, who had stopped gog to match after wnsg abe towards players and match officials. "'I didn't want to be the token gay referee'A reer as long as Cecch's don't e whout challeng, and some of his most memorable moments have been acpanied by ntroversy.

"I've always been gay, but I didn't know until I was 25, " Cecch says.

I didn't want to be known as 'Matt the gay ref', and to eher miss out on gam or be given gam bee I was the token gay referee.

EX-SUPER LEAGUE REFEREE JAM CHILD SPEAKS OUT ON HOW G OUT AS GAY IMPACTED HIS GBY LEAGUE REER

"'I feared havg to al wh homophobic abe on the pch'Cecch tablished himself as an NRL referee durg the 2000sCecch told his refereeg lleagu about his sexualy 2001, soon after his NRL but.

"But the fear I had was a gay ment to me by a player on the field that I'd have to al wh.

Jam Child me out to his fellow refere 10 years ago but risted lls to go public until now; Child, who revealed he has been the target of ath threats and homophobic abe, broke his silence an effort to te people and enurage rpect. Super League referee Jam Child has exprsed his light wh the reactn after he spoke publicly for the first time about beg a gay man the sport. Child, 37, addrsed the subject of sexualy an terview on the BBC's LGBT Sport Podst which he also revealed he has been the target of ath threats and homophobic Yorkshireman, who began refereeg Super League 2009 and has been on the Rugby Football League's ele panel for the last 11 years, says he broke his silence an effort to te people and enurage rpect, and has been pleased by the ial rponse.

NRL GRAND FAL REFEREE MATT CECCH REVEALS HE'S GAY AND SAYS 'S A NON-ISSUE LEAGUE THE DAYS

"Child says he was prompted to open up to his fellow refere followg an cint around 2010 which he was homophobilly abed by a ach and thought he was gog to be physilly asslted. A few years later, former Leeds full-back Zak Hardaker, now wh Wigan, was given a five-match ban after beg found guilty of homophobic abe, allegedly llg Child a 'f*****g f*g' durg the Rhos' feat at Warrgton, which he later scribed as a heat-of-the-moment says he has had no ntact wh the unnamed ach sce and, although he told the BBC he did not believe the RFL handled eher of the s well, he thks lsons have been learned.

RUGBY LEAGUE REFEREE HAPPY WH REACTN AFTER SPEAKG PUBLICLY ABOUT BEG GAY

Jam Child He said: "The uple of s I referred to were a long time ago and some rpects, I don't thk I ma easy for them bee I wasn't openly gay and there were tails I didn't necsarily want released.

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

"Welsh gby unn referee Nigel Owens, ex-Wakefield prop Keegan Hirst, and former dual- wger Gareth Thomas have all e out publicly as gay and Child is hopg his ments will enurage more sportspeople to be thentic too.

LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD

Please e Chrome browser for a more accsible vio player Keegan Hirst spoke to Sky Sports about his journey gby league as a gay man as part of the 'Rabow Lac: My In' seri - watch the full episo On Demand Keegan Hirst spoke to Sky Sports about his journey gby league as a gay man as part of the 'Rabow Lac: My In' seri - watch the full episo On Demand Child is also hopg he will be treated fairly by fans when they return to gam later the year. One of gby league's top refere Jam Child has spoken ndidly for the first time about his sexualySuper League referee Jam ChildSuper League referee Jam Child has spoken publicly for the first time about his sexualy, and the homophobic abe he has received which has clud ath threats.

In an terview wh the BBC’s LGBT Sport Podst, Child has strsed that this is not his ‘g out’ story, wh his fay, iends and refereeg lleagu all aware that he's gay. “When I n out there and make a cisn, don't matter whether I'm gay or straight.