Le Mans racer Danny Watts out as gay | Daily Mail Onle

danny watts gay

Retired Le Mans racer Danny Watts has e out as gay, sayg he had never felt able to be open about his sexualy while petg the sport as he believed to be 'very mascule'.

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BRISH RACG DRIVER DANNY WATTS ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

Now retired, Danny Watts out as gay * danny watts gay *

Brish race r driver Danny Watts, who won the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour endurance race 2010, has e out as gay. “There were enough gay jok and homophobic slurs to go around, and I felt like if I lifted my head out of the trench, I’d be immediately annihilated, " he hight-profile European driver to e out so far, Watts' reer clud Formula First and Formula Renlt UK tl, Brish Formula 3 race victori and top tim the A1 Grand Prix. I me out to my wife, who told me she’d known I was gay for ag and she was happy I’d fally e out.

And those racg who still harbor homophobic valu won't be challenged.

Watts sent this letter to Outsports over the weekend, explag his stggle as a gay to racer and stayg the closet.

PRO RACE CAR DRIVER DANNY WATTS COM OUT AS GAY"I FELT LIKE IF I LIFTED MY HEAD OUT OF THE TRENCH, I’D BE IMMEDIATELY ANNIHILATED."{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY DAN AVERYFEBARY 20, 2017/11:28 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}DREW GIBSON/GETTY IMAGFRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM - MAY 4: DANNY WATTS OF ENGLAND, DRIVER OF THE STRAKKA RACG HPD ARX 03A - HONDA DURG THE 2012 FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPNSHIP - 6 HOURS OF SPA FRANRCHAMPS ON MAY 4, 2012 FRANRCHAMPS, BELGIUM. (PHOTO BY DREW GIBSON/GETTY IMAG)BY DAN AVERYFEBARY 20, 2017 / 11:28 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"PRO RACE CAR DRIVER DANNY WATTS COM OUT AS GAY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-02-20T16:28:46.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-02-20T16:28:46.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY","KEYWORDS":"SPORTS","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BRISH RACE R DRIVER DANNY WATTS, WHO WON THE LEGENDARY LE MANS 24 HOUR ENDURANCE RACE 2010, HAS E OUT AS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THERE WAS SOMETHG BURNG SI THAT SAID 'RIGHT, YOU N'T HI ANYMORE," THE 37-YEAR-OLD TOLD . "YOU'VE GOT TO BE EE AND BE TE TO YOURSELF AND LET GO OUT THERE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WATTS, WHO RETIRED LAST YEAR, SAID HE FELT HE HAD TO KEEP HIS SEXUALY SECRET WHILE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THERE WERE ENOUGH GAY JOK AND HOMOPHOBIC SLURS TO GO AROUND, AND I FELT LIKE IF I LIFTED MY HEAD OUT OF THE TRENCH, I’D BE IMMEDIATELY ANNIHILATED," HE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE HIGHT-PROFILE EUROPEAN DRIVER TO E OUT SO FAR, WATTS' REER CLUD FORMULA FIRST AND FORMULA RENLT UK TL, BRISH FORMULA 3 RACE VICTORI AND TOP TIM THE A1 GRAND PRIX. BUT SPE THE ACPLISHMENTS, HE FELT RELENTLS PRSURE TO BLEND , TO HAVE GIRLIENDS, AND EVENTUALLY GET MARRIED.KER ROBERTSON/GETTY IMAGNORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: THE STRAKKA RACG GIBSON NISSAN OF NICK LEVENTIS, DANNY WATTS AND JONNY KANE DRIV DURG THE FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPNSHIP SIX HOURS OF SILVERSTONE RACE AT THE SILVERSTONE CIRCU ON APRIL 17, 2016 NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND. (PHOTO BY KER ROBERTSON/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I NTUED PRETENDG TO BE STRAIGHT FOR 17 YEARS," WATTS NFSED. “EVENTUALLY, SOMETHG ME FLIPPED, AND I ULDN’T KEEP ANY MORE. I ME OUT TO MY WIFE, WHO TOLD ME SHE’D KNOWN I WAS GAY FOR AG AND SHE WAS HAPPY I’D FALLY E OUT."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WATTS AND HIS EX-WIFE DIVORCED AMIBLY AND NTUE TO WORK TO CREATE A LOVG ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR SON. BUT AFTER THE END OF HIS MARRIAGE, WATTS SAYS, "MY ABILY TO KEEP SECRET SLOWLY UNRAVELLED," AND HE BEGAN G OUT TO FAY MEMBERS AND CLOSE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THERE WAS OBVLY SHOCK TO START WH BUT PEOPLE WERE ALSO VERY SUPPORTIVE, WHICH WAS NICE. SO I THOUGHT IF THEY'RE OL WH , LET'S GO WH ."DREW GIBSON/GETTY IMAGSEBRING, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: DANNY WATTS OF ENGLAND, DRIVER OF THE STRAKKA RACG HPD ARX 03A - HONDA DURG THE 2012 WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPNSHIP - 12 HOURS OF SEBRG AT SEBRG INTERNATNAL RACEWAY ON MARCH 17, 2012 SEBRG, FLORIDA. (PHOTO BY DREW GIBSON/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MORE NFINT, HE BEGAN WEARG A PRI BRACELET TO THE TRACK AND FAN EVENTS, WHERE SOME PEOPLE MENTED POSIVELY. WHILE HE EXPECTS THERE TO BE THE OCSNAL ONLE TROLL, WATTS SAYS "THEIR OPN NO LONGER MATTERS TO ME."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GOG PUBLIC AFTER RETIRG, HE EXPLAS, MEANS "I NO LONGER NEED TO KOWTOW TO SPONSORS—A BAD REACTN NO LONGER IMPACTS ON MY ABILY TO EARN."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT ALSO MEANS LGBT RACERS AND FANS WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE AN OUT DRIVER NTUE TO SUCCEED THE SPORT. AND THOSE RACG WHO STILL HARBOR HOMOPHOBIC VALU WON'T BE CHALLENGED.BRYN LENNON/GETTYLONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: (L TO R) STRAKKA RACG DRIVERS DANNY WATTS, NICK LEVENTIS AND JONNY KANE POSE DURG THE 2013 FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPNSHIP PHOTO CALL ON MARCH 22, 2013 AT POTTERS FIELDS LONDON, ENGLAND. (PHOTO BY BRYN LENNON/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THERE ARE STILL FIA-SANCTNED WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS THAT FEEL A RACE N'T START WHOUT HEAVILY RERCED CLEAVAGE DISPLAYS ON S GRID. THAT ISSUE IS A WHOLE SEPARATE MEFIELD FOR ANOTHER DAY, BUT S IMPLITN THAT THIS IS WHAT APPEALS TO A RACG DRIVER OR FAN'S SIR HAS NSEQUENC," WR 'S MATT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT'S STATISTILLY LUDICRO TO THK THAT ONLY HETEROSEXUAL WHE MAL N BE ANY GOOD AT DRIVG FAST OR THAT ONLY HETEROSEXUAL WHE MAL WOULD ENJOY WATCHG PEOPLE DRIVE FAST. GENR AND ETHNICY AREN'T THE BARRIERS TO MOTORSPORT SUCCS/ENJOYMENT THAT THEY ONCE IMPLICLY APPEARED TO BE, AND SEXUALY SHOULDN'T BE EHER."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Brish race r driver Danny Watts has e out as gay an terview wh Formula 1 racg webse Badger GP. * danny watts gay *

Thankfully, Watts is now standg up and potg to his own prence the sport to show other drivers that there are gay men their midst, and maybe they should thk twice about droppg that gay slur. There were enough gay jok and homophobic slurs to go around, and I felt like if I lifted my head out of the trench, I'd be immediately annihilated. I uldn't speak to or make iends wh other gay people like me for fear that someone would notice and nnect the dots.

GAY PRO RACE R DRIVER: STAYG THE CLOSET WAS ‘NOTHG BUT TORTURE AND PA’

* danny watts gay *

I me out to my wife, who told me she'd known I was gay for ag and she was happy I'd fally e out.

BRISH RACE CAR DRIVER DANNY WATTS COM OUT AS GAY

There are trolls the motorsport muny who uld very well rear their heads, but there's a group of rearchers keepg track of my twter mentns as I e out to help rm other gay racers wantg to e out. If the rponse I've had om the gay motorsport muny th far is any gge, I feel hopeful that will be a posive one. Sce the articl have n, Watts says the reactn om his former lleagu and other people the sport have all been “highly posive, ” yet aga rercg the notn that the fear gay men have of g out while still their sport is often overblown.

It’s hard to believe him beg gay will get the way of that.

Eher way, ’s great to have another voice out there a sport that so often gets labeled “homophobic.

LE MANS RACER DANNY WATTS OUT AS GAY

Brish race r driver Danny Watts has e out as gay an terview wh Formula 1 racg webse Badger GP. Watts lamented homophobia the sport:. Danny Watts out as gay and adms he was unable to be open 'very mascule' motorsport Danny Watts said he felt he had to be the closet to succeed the sportHe admted his ncern over the abe he may have faced if he me out Watts is believed to be the hight profile driver to have e out as gay Published: 17:13 BST, 20 Febary 2017 | Updated: 19:15 BST, 20 Febary 2017.

DANNY WATTS ON COMG OUT GAY: 95% OF RPONSE WAS POSIVE

Retired Le Mans racer Danny Watts has e out as gay, sayg he had never felt able to be open about his sexualy while petg the sport.

Speakg also to Gay Tim, Watts said he had felt he would 'need to live the closet if I wanted my motorsport reer to go anywhere. Retired Le Mans racer Danny Watts has e out as gay a seri of terviews Watts (left) admted that he felt he would have to rema the closet to succeed the sport WATTS' LE MANS CV Participatg years: 2007, 2009-13, 2015-Teams: Team LNT, Strakka RacgClass ws: 1 (2010)Bt fish: 5th (2010)'There were enough gay jok and homophobic slurs to go around, and I felt like if I lifted my head out of the trench I'd be pletely annihilated.

Autosport said Watts, who was a team-mate to Ferrari's 2007 Formula One world champn Kimi Raikkonen the Formula Renlt junr seri, was believed to be the hight profile European driver to e the top level Formula One there has yet to be an openly gay driver. Watts told UK gay glossy Wq. LONDON (Rters) - Retired Le Mans racer Danny Watts has e out as gay, sayg he had never felt able to be open about his sexualy while petg the sport.

FORMER LE MANS RACER WATTS OUT AS GAY

Speakg also to Gay Tim, Watts said he had felt he would “need to live the closet if I wanted my motorsport reer to go anywhere. “There were enough gay jok and homophobic slurs to go around, and I felt like if I lifted my head out of the trench I’d be pletely annihilated. Autosport said Watts, who was a team mate to Ferrari’s 2007 Formula One world champn Kimi Raikkonen the Formula Renlt junr seri, was believed to be the hight profile European driver to e the top level Formula One, a grand prix world champnship that started 1950, there has yet to be an openly gay a wner of the send tier LMP2 tegory at the Le Mans 24 Hours sportsr race, Watts is now foced on achg said he no longer had to worry about how teams or sponsors might react but had no ia what rponse his announcement would receive om a motorsport dience.

Former driver Danny Watts took on his homosexualy. Retired Le Mans driver Danny Watts out as gay: "You feel like you have to hi wh motorsport"The 37-year-old said he felt he would "need to live the closet if I wanted my motorsport reer to go anywhere"Retired Le Mans racer Danny Watts has e out as gay, sayg he had never felt able to be open about his sexualy while petg. Watts told Gay Tim he had felt he would "need to live the closet if I wanted my motorsport reer to go anywhere.

RETIRED LE MANS DRIVER DANNY WATTS OUT AS GAY: "YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO HI WH MOTORSPORT"

"There were enough gay jok and homophobic slurs to go around, and I felt like if I lifted my head out of the trench I'd be pletely annihilated. At the top level Formula One, a grand prix world champnship that started 1950, there has yet to be an openly gay driver. Sports, some s, are still an unfortunate holdout for mastream homophobia.

Whether 's slurs on and off the field, or the notn that masculy is a barometer for skill, queer athlet face discrimatn om almost every Watts, a former Strakka Racg driver, took all of this to nsiratn before fally cidg to e out as gay. Not only do he ach young drivers, he's bee a chary ambassador for Gay Racers, an anizatn for LGBTQ people wh motorsports.

DANNY WATTS IS GAY

Danny Watts is wrg this week's Autosport about g out as a homosexual. Please keep this discsn to topic so n rema RC - 's not a thread about your general views on homosexuly but on why still seems to be taboo motor-racg.

Faced wh this culture of machismo, I n see a lot of sponsors, alas, havg issu wh an openly gay driver, and prsure beg ed to nceal dividual sexualy. Most people are straight, some people are gay, big al, who r. Is someone beg gay still news this day and age?

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* DANNY WATTS GAY

Brish Race Car Driver Danny Watts Com Out As Gay - Towleroad Gay News .

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