BBC Sport - Rugby Unn - Ex-Ln Gareth Thomas reveals he is gay

welsh rugby gay player

Former Wal and Lns pta Gareth Thomas breaks one of the major taboos surroundg sport by announcg he is gay.

Contents:

WHO IS GARETH THOMAS? OPENLY GAY WAL GBY UNN LEGEND AND REALY STAR DIAGNOSED WH HIV

There are many great gay profsnal gby players and personali. The players have bee a bean of light bee they overme the stereotyp. * welsh rugby gay player *

He me out as gay 2009, makg him the first openly gay profsnal gby unn player - and will be a star on ITV's new show The Real Full Monty on Ice. 2 The former Welsh ternatnal me out as gay after his marriage broke up and said he hoped would enurage other young gay gby playersCred: Getty Imag.

When did Gareth Thomas e out as gay? In December 2009, Thomas announced publicly that he is gay.

He said he did not want to be known as a "gay gby player" but simply as a "gby player". He was also the first profsnal gby unn player to announce that he was gay, when he me out 2009.

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

Wal gby unn ternatnal Gareth Thomas has announced that he is gay an terview Bra's Daily Mail newspaper. * welsh rugby gay player *

Thomas married his wife, Jemma, 2002, but they later divorced before he announced that he was gay 2009.

In light of recent ntroversy regardg homophobic slurs by Israel Fol, we thought we would she a light on 10 fluential gay gby personali. The players have bee a bean of light bee they overme stereotyp and other challeng faced by homosexual athlet way too often.

In this article, we’ll name ten of the most notable gay gby personali, analyze their acplishments, discs how they are shapg the game today, and asss their impact on the overall perceptn of homosexual profsnal athlet around the world. That beg said, due to s physily, gby is regard as a “manly” sport, which mak more difficult for gay players to publicly acknowledge their preference. At the same time, there are many misnceptns about this betiful sport, which has led to the margalizatn and targetg of gay players.

WELSH GBY STAR REVEALS HE IS GAY

Some high-profile stars like Israel Fol have recently ma headl due to potentially homophobic posts on social media.

This is one of the ma reasons why reprentativ of World Rugby met wh the lears of Internatnal Gay Rugby (IGR) to help eradite homophobia and tolerance om the game. Notable homosexual gby players and personali.

Here’s a list of ten notable gay gby players and how they are shapg the game today. The very first high-profile gby player to ever e out to the public as gay is former Atralian ternatnal Ian Roberts.

HUGE SUPPORT FOR FORMER WALLABI PLAYER WHO HAS E OUT AS GAY

Even though Ian Roberts may have been the first high-profile player to openly adm beg gay, Keegan Hirst was the first to ever do while still active. Currently a Wakefield Try prop, Hirst has bee one of the most notable gay athlet, earng himself a startg role after signg a ntract wh the League si 2016.

Sam Stanley beme the first openly gay Rugby Unn and Sevens player the UK. Although he never played gby at a profsnal level, Mark Bgham has bee an inic figure for gay gby players and sportspeople around the world. Known for his heroics durg the September 11 attacks, Bgham was a robt send-row man who played for the gay-clive San Francis Fog RFC.

EX-LN GARETH THOMAS REVEALS HE IS GAY

The Mark Kendall Bgham Memorial Tournament, simply known as the Bgham Cup, is a biennial gay gby unn tournament which was held for the first time 2002. Thomas publicly me out 2009 and has sce scribed his experience as a secretly gay player, revealg how the social prsure and stereotyp pose a signifint challenge for many athlet today.

The Welshman is also a TV personaly and a voted activist for the LGBT e, wng “Gay Sports Personaly of the De” at the Stonewall awards ceremony London back 2015.

Wal gby unn ternatnal Gareth Thomas has announced that he is gay an terview Bra's Daily Mail Cardiff Blu full-back, 35, says he has been through "absolute spair" and did not want to be known simply as a "gay gby player" former Wal and Brish and Irish Lns pta is Wal' most-pped player and nth the all-time Tt try srg list. "I don't want to be known as a gay gby player. I jt happen to be gay.

MICKEY ROURKE'S GAY GBY FILM IS NO LONGER ABOUT GARETH THOMAS

Former Wal pta and ternatnal gby star turned LGBT mpaigner Gareth Thomas has been acced of “ceptively” transmtg HIV to an 48-year-old is beg sued the High Court by his former boyiend Ian Bm for allegedly hidg his HIV stat and “failg to take reasonable re” not to pass the fectn Thomas reportedly tends to strongly ntt the reprentativ were ntacted for a 's reported if Mr Bm ws urt, he uld claim damag of £150, 000 or pair were a relatnship between me out as gay 2009 and revealed his HIV stat publicly 2019.

“That rmatn, had bee publicly known, would have been extremely damagg to the fendant’s public reputatn as a person who had spoken out about his homosexualy and LGBTQ issu, ” urt documents said. ”Mr Thomas ma history 2009 by beg the world’s first openly gay gby reer clus 100 ps for Wal, reprentg the untry four Rugby World Cups, and beg the Brish and Irish Lns publicly revealed he was livg wh HIV 2019 and ss on the HIV Commissn, which aims to end new s of the disease by De of Ssex attends a Terrence Higgs Tst event wh former Wal gby pta Gareth Thomas Cred: Steve Parsons/PATo raise awarens of the ndn, he filmed a documentary wh Prce Harry for the Terrence Higgs Tst and produced his own programme, Gareth Thomas: HIV And Bm said he felt “vulnerable and unsure about his future” after his diagnosis but was “very much love wh” Mr Thomas and vastated he had been “ceived”. "Palmer tailed the mental health issu and dg problems he experienced when g to terms wh his sexualy, although he said he never felt discrimated agast durg his playg mediaBut the long-nng Israel Fol saga, which rulted the wger's sackg by Rugby Atralia after he posted on social media that "hell awas" gay people, was a ntributg factor his cisn to wre the lumn.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* WELSH RUGBY GAY PLAYER

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0.666672 0.666656 6.63621 0.666656 14C0.666656 21.3638 6.63619 27.3333 14 27.3333C17.2017 27.3333 20.1398 26.2048 22.4383 24.3239L25.0572 26.9428C25.5779 27.4635 26.4221 27.4635 26.9428 26.9428C27.4635 26.4221 27.4635 25.5779 26.9428 25.0572L24.3239 22.4383C26.2048 20.1398 27.3333 17.2017 27.3333 14C27.3333 6.63621 21.3638 0.666672 14 0.666672ZM3.33332 14C3.33332 8.10897 8.10895 3.33334 14 3.33334C19.891 3.33334 24.6667 8.10897 24.6667 14C24.6667 19.891 19.891 24.6667 14 24.6667C8.10895 24.6667 3.33332 19.891 3.33332 14Z" fill="currentColor"/></svg></i></button></form></nav></tails></nav></hear><div class="TIGiX"><ma class="LYuxP" id="ma-ntent"><div class="lklzg cp_grid"><ma class="ceZ1j cp_grid__em" data-ttid="wal-article-template"><hear class="pkLrB" data-ttid="article-hear"><h1 data-ttid="article-hear-headg" class="cp_headg kap-m">Rugby star Gareth Thomas sued after ex-partner acc him of 'ceptively' transmtg HIV</h1><div class="cQTzz GfVM1 OXiGB" data-ttid="tag-list"><ul class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/wal"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Wal</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/sport"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Sport</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/topic/gby"><span data-ttid="tag-text">gby</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div class="YEmI-" data-ttid="date-time-"><i class="cp_in cp_in__clock cp_in--base u46pe" aria-hidn="te"><svg width="48px" height="48px" viewBox="0 0 48 48" versn="1.1" xmlns=" xmlns:xlk=" role="img"> <g transform="translate(-304.000000, -1456.000000)"> <g transform="translate(300.000000, 1452.000000)"> <path fill="#7B8386" fill-le="evenodd" d="M27.9766667,4.66666667 C15.0966667,4.66666667 4.66666667,15.12 4.66666667,28 C4.66666667,40.88 15.0966667,51.3333333 27.9766667,51.3333333 C40.88,51.3333333 51.3333333,40.88 51.3333333,28 C51.3333333,15.12 40.88,4.66666667 27.9766667,4.66666667 Z M28,46.6666667 C17.6866667,46.6666667 9.33333333,38.3133333 9.33333333,28 C9.33333333,17.6866667 17.6866667,9.33333333 28,9.33333333 C38.3133333,9.33333333 46.6666667,17.6866667 46.6666667,28 C46.6666667,38.3133333 38.3133333,46.6666667 28,46.6666667 Z M29.1666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,30.3333333 L37.9166667,37.6833333 L39.6666667,34.8133333 L29.1666667,28.5833333 L29.1666667,16.3333333 Z" /> </g> </g></svg></i><time class="iCsJz _0Z4Oc" dateTime="2022-08-09T13:30:45Z" data-ttid="date-time">Tuday 9 Augt 2022 at 2:30pm</time></div></li></ul></div><figure class="ZN3xR"><picture class="cp_picture"><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet="><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet="><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet="><img alt="" class="cp_picture__img" src="></picture><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Mr Thomas, who revealed his HIV stat publicly 2019, is unrstood to strongly ny the claims.<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure></hear><div class="_074l4 cp_grid__em" data-ttid="article-body"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Former Wal pta and ternatnal gby star turned LGBT mpaigner Gareth Thomas has been acced of “ceptively” transmtg HIV to an ex-partner.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The 48-year-old is beg sued the High Court by his former boyiend Ian Bm for allegedly hidg his HIV stat and “failg to take reasonable re” not to pass the fectn on.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas reportedly tends to strongly ntt the claim.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">His reprentativ were ntacted for a ment.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">It's reported if Mr Bm ws urt, he uld claim damag of £150,000 or more.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The pair were a relatnship between 2013-2016.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Thomas me out as gay 2009 and revealed his HIV stat publicly 2019.<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm claims he was HIV negative when they first beme an em, urt papers said.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He said he noticed the sportsman was takg pills om bottl which had the labels ripped off them but was told they were multivams.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He alleg he found out Mr Thomas, also known as Alfie, had HIV after fdg a tablet marked GSK1.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“On googlg the GSK1 pill, the claimant disvered that the fendant was takg anti-viral HIV meditn,” documents said.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm said he “immediately” went to get a rapid HIV tt and, after fdg out the same day he was posive, felt “vastated” and went to “shock”.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He claims he rang Mr Thomas, “who was very repentant and apologetic on the telephone”, for an explanatn.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“By transmtg HIV to the claimant, the fendant has ed him ser physil and psychologil jury,” papers said.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Gareth Thomas is a former sports star and TV personaly who is an LGBT+ advote and HIV mpaigner<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas is said to have “plead” wh Mr Bm to keep his HIV stat a secret and, after he agreed, the relatnship ntued.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas then ed “ercive and ntrollg behavur” to prevent his HIV stat beg public knowledge, Mr Bm claims.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“That rmatn, had bee publicly known, would have been extremely damagg to the fendant’s public reputatn as a person who had spoken out about his homosexualy and LGBTQ issu,” urt documents said.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“Sce that time, the fendant has portrayed himself as a spokperson for HIV whout ever disclosg that he ceptively transmted HIV to the claimant 2014.”</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas ma history 2009 by beg the world’s first openly gay gby player.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">His reer clus 100 ps for Wal, reprentg the untry four Rugby World Cups, and beg the Brish and Irish Lns pta.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He publicly revealed he was livg wh HIV 2019 and ss on the HIV Commissn, which aims to end new s of the disease by 2030.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">The De of Ssex attends a Terrence Higgs Tst event wh former Wal gby pta Gareth Thomas<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->Steve Parsons/PA</span></figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">To raise awarens of the ndn, he filmed a documentary wh Prce Harry for the Terrence Higgs Tst and produced his own programme, Gareth Thomas: HIV And Me.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm said he felt “vulnerable and unsure about his future” after his diagnosis but was “very much love wh” Mr Thomas and vastated he had been “ceived”.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“The fendant had knowgly lied to the claimant about his HIV stat and had erced the claimant to havg unprotected sexual terurse when he knew that by dog so he was puttg the claimant at risk of ntractg HIV,” the papers alleged.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm also acc Mr Thomas of beg unfahful durg their relatnship, allegg that 2015 he found out he was “seekg unknown men for unprotected sex at a well-known r park near to Junctn 18 of the M4 motorway”.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Near the end of the relatnship, January 2016, will be claimed Mr Bm wrote a note sayg: “I lied – I already had HIV. Give this to your solicor.”</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm’s legal team claim is an example of their client’s “vulnerabily” by that stage and he do not remember wrg .</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">They allege Mr Thomas was threateng to leave Mr Bm, claim an junctn agast him or persua him to sign a pre-nuptial agreement preventg him om disclosg his HIV stat, and Mr Bm “accepts that he would have done anythg to try to save the relatnship”.</p><div class="qNUzV Z4snd" data-ttid="article-lk"><div class="-VoCt"><a class="WPcEk" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/2019-09-14/gby-legend-gareth-thomas-reveals-hiv-posive-stat">Rugby legend Gareth Thomas tak on Ironman challenge after revealg HIV stat</a><i class="cp_in cp_in__chevron cp_in--base uQW1m" aria-hidn="te"><svg xmlns=" width="12" height="20" viewBox="0 0 12 20" fill="none" role="img"> <path fill-le="evenodd" clip-le="evenodd" d="M0.256714 0.331044C0.626173 -0.0794661 1.25846 -0.112744 1.66897 0.256714L11.669 9.25671C11.8797 9.44635 12 9.71651 12 10C12 10.2835 11.8797 10.5537 11.669 10.7433L1.66897 19.7433C1.25846 20.1127 0.626173 20.0795 0.256714 19.669C-0.112744 19.2584 -0.0794661 18.6262 0.331044 18.2567L9.50515 10L0.331044 1.7433C-0.0794661 1.37384 -0.112744 0.741553 0.256714 0.331044Z" fill="#FFF"/> </svg></i></div></div><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX"></p></div><footer data-ttid="article-footer"><div class="cQTzz C04KI" data-ttid="tag-list"><ul class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/wal"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Wal</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/sport"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Sport</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/topic/gby"><span 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