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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="2022-11-23T12:12:37Z" data-ttid="date-time">Wednday 23 November 2022 at 12:12pm</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="221122 Nigel Owens" class="cp_picture__img" src="></picture></figure></hear><div class="_074l4 cp_grid__em" data-ttid="article-body"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Welsh former gby ternatnal referee Nigel Owens has shared the homophobic abe he received a "hate" filled letter on social media.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The 51-year-old posted a picture of the letter sayg "unls we start llg out the kd of people nothg will change."</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Owens said he received the letter the post "a few weeks ago" and that he had "thought long and hard" about whether he should share or not.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Dyfed Powys Police are vtigatg the matter and said "enquiri are ongog."</p><asi class="cp_grid n1Jiz" data-ttid="le-tile-list-ntaer"><article data-ttid="tile-unfed" class="_9ngZG cp_grid__em cp_width--one-half V42pZ"><div class="fckaL" data-ttid="tile-image-ntaer"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div></div><div data-ttid="tile-headg-ntaer" class="mhohf"><a class="E2VG5" data-ttid="tile-headg-lk" href="/news/wal/2020-12-11/welsh-referee-nigel-owens-to-retire-om-ternatnal-gby"><h2 class="cp_headg FBRAm">Welsh referee Nigel Owens to retire om ternatnal gby</h2></a></div></article><article data-ttid="tile-unfed" class="_9ngZG cp_grid__em cp_width--one-half V42pZ"><div class="fckaL" data-ttid="tile-image-ntaer"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div></div><div data-ttid="tile-headg-ntaer" class="mhohf"><a class="E2VG5" data-ttid="tile-headg-lk" href="/news/wal/2020-11-26/welsh-referee-nigel-owens-swaps-gby-boots-for-welli-after-fulfillg-lifelong-dream-of-beg-a-farmer"><h2 class="cp_headg FBRAm">Nigel Owens swaps gby boots for welli after beg a farmer</h2></a></div></article></asi><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">His full post on social media read: "I’ve thought long and hard about postg this letter I received the post a few weeks ago sged by a Steel Worker PT. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">"But unls we start llg out the kd of people nothg will change. It hurts and there is no need for all this hate."</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The letter also mentns former Wal ternatnal gby player Gareth Thomas.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Thomas replied to the post sayg "He’s a serial wrer butt, he wr those kds of letters to everyone, good on you for (sic) llg him out."</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Nigel Owens now ns a farm the Gwendraeth Valley.</figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Owens 'me out' as gay 2007 and went on to bee the first referee to reach a landmark 100 ternatnal tts 2020.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He's now livg a <a class="qNUzV q7LZa" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/wal/2020-11-26/welsh-referee-nigel-owens-swaps-gby-boots-for-welli-after-fulfillg-lifelong-dream-of-beg-a-farmer"><span class="n6NlI">lifelong dream of beg a farmer</span></a> and workg as a TV pund.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The letter sparked an outpourg of support for Owens om people on social media</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">One social media er lled the letter "pathetic and absurd" while dozens exprsed their "love" for the gby legend. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Another lled the letter "disgtg" and that they were "so sorry that this day and age you still receive msag like this."</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">A msage om TATA Steel's official UK Twter acunt read: "We’re wh you 100% Nigel and we are horrified to see apparently signed by one of our own steel fay. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">"There is no place for such hatred a steel works, a gby club or society <a class="qNUzV q7LZa" href=" data-ttid="fecp-lk-anchor"><span class="n6NlI">#ShameOnThem</span></a><a class="qNUzV q7LZa" href=" data-ttid="fecp-lk-anchor"><span class="n6NlI">#BeKd</span></a>"</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" 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nigel gay rugby referee

<p>Nigel Owens talks about beg the only openly gay gby referee</p>

Contents:

WHO IS GBY REF NIGEL OWENS? WELSHMAN BRAVELY ME OUT AS GAY, FOUGHT BULIMIA AND OVERME SUICI

Openly gay gby referee Nigel Owens might never have achieved his inic stat if he’d had gone ahead wh plans for a chemil stratn. * nigel gay rugby referee *

In 2007, the Mynyddcerrig-native shocked the sports world by g out as gay. 6 In 2007 Owens shocked the sports world by g out as gayCred: SWNS:South Wt News Service. It's such a big taboo to be gay my le of work, I had to thk very hard about bee I didn't want to jeopardise my reer.

NIGEL OWENS: 'I ULDN'T ACCEPT I WAS GAY'

Premiership referee Craig Maxwell-Keys says the gby work has been supportive after he me out as gay via WhatsApp. * nigel gay rugby referee *

A GAY REF IN A MACHO SPORT. "It's such a big taboo to be gay my le of work, I had to thk very hard about bee I didn't want to jeopardise my reer, " he nfsed.

"When I beme a referee, beme clear that there was nobody the sport who was gay.

‘I NSIRED CHEMIL STRATN,’ SAYS GAY GBY REFEREE NIGEL OWENS

"Although that’s not to say that the sport is openly homophobic. Owens knew he was gay his late teens. When gby referee Nigel Owens me out as gay 2007, he said was “a big taboo” to be LGBT+ his le of work.

RUGBY’S TRAILBLAZG GAY REFEREE NIGEL OWENS REVEALS SUICI ATTEMPT AT AGE 11 DUE TO BULLYG — YEARS BEFORE TRYG TO KILL HIMSELF A BATTLE WH SEXUALY

Welsh gby player Gareth Thomas later me out as gay, and other players have opened up about their inti too.

Did you enunter much homophobia after g out as gay?

CRAIG MAXWELL-KEYS: PREMIERSHIP GBY REFEREE ME OUT AS GAY VIA WHATSAPP

But on the odd ocsn – on the very, very odd ocsn that there were homophobic ments shouted at me om the spectators – was heard by other people and was reported to the relevant bodi and they managed to al wh the suatn.

PNEERG GAY GBY REFEREE NIGEL OWNS LLED AN ‘ABOMATN’ HATEFUL, HOMOPHOBIC LETTER

Rugby has allowed to be who we are, so nobody uld say that gby is a homophobic sport.

He hadn't met a gay man before and his feelgs were totally alien to him, so much so that he sperately tried to supprs them.

''I didn't want to be a gay person. ''Alongsi his battle wh prsn and anxiety, Owens veloped bulimia and beme hooked on steroids as he stggled to accept that he was gay.

THE ONLY GAY ON THE PCH

I didn't want to be a gay person Aged 24, Owens attempted to take his own life due to his self loathg over his sexual orientatn - a regret he says will plague him for the rt of his life. Rugby referee Nigel Owens is one of the most proment gay men sport. As an openly gay figure one of the most mascule of sports Nigel Owens is a rary – but he might never have achieved his inic stat gby unn if he had gone ahead wh plans for a chemil stratn.

“I didn’t want to be gay, ” Owens, who me out 2007, told CNN. “I actually went to the doctor at one stage to see if I uld be chemilly strated any way, if would get rid of me beg gay. They n’t tell other people they’re gay bee they’re fightg themselv.

CLOSED PTNG SCREW-UP WR THAT GBY REFEREE ‘IS A GAY’

However, he believ the mcular world of gby unn is way ahead of other global sports when to acceptg gay stars, although Gareth Thomas beme the first profsnal player to open up about his sexualy as recently as 2009.

“It annoys me sometim when people say gby is homophobic. Rerd-Breakg Rugby Unn Referee & Gay Sports Personaly of the Year.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* NIGEL GAY RUGBY REFEREE

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fu9x2 nX0Bq pP831"><iame tle="Advert" scrollg="no" class="Fk9zi JsaQ6"></iame></div></div><ma class="ceZ1j cp_grid" id="ma-ntent"><article data-ttid="article-body" class="_074l4 cp_grid__em cp_width--ctard--two-thirds"><h1 class="cp_headg rvITo">Nigel Owens: 'I uldn't accept I was gay'</h1><time class="iCsJz -L4qJ" dateTime="2017-02-09T11:16:37.000Z" data-ttid="date-time">Thursday 9 Febary at 11:16am</time><div class="_8xmX9 ymMsu vr8OE" data-ttid="embed-brightve"><div data-ttid="player-overlay"><button class="_5ZKtN"><i class="cp_in cp_in__play-news-short-form EhtER lXUL6 cp_in--ctom-size" aria-hidn="false"><svg width="15" height="20" viewBox="0 0 15 20" fill="none" xmlns=" aria-label="Play Brightve vio" role="img"><tle>Play Brightve vio</tle><path fill-le="evenodd" clip-le="evenodd" d="M0.542124 0.110987C0.875033 -0.0604726 1.27584 -0.031568 1.5807 0.185886L14.5807 9.45861C14.8479 9.6492 15.0046 9.95875 14.9999 10.2869C14.9952 10.6151 14.8299 10.9201 14.5574 11.103L1.55738 19.8303C1.2507 20.0361 0.85551 20.0562 0.529562 19.8824C0.203615 19.7087 0 19.3694 0 19V1C0 0.625535 0.209216 0.282447 0.542124 0.110987Z" fill="whe"/></svg></i></button></div><vio-js data-acunt="2635130839001" data-player="wReX5gGy" data-embed="flt" ntrols="" data-vio-id="5316798641001" data-playlist-id="" data-applitn-id="" class="_4h-ua"></vio-js></div><blockquote class="lLs7Z vr8OE" data-ttid="quote"><p class="ka64y">The biggt challenge I've ever e across my life was acceptg who I was </p><footer class="_2pxnR"><ce class="WTLsF">Nigel Owens says acceptg he was gay was the biggt challenge he has ever faced </ce></footer></blockquote><p class="BVYCX">After revealg his stggl wh his sexualy, ternatnal gby referee Nigel Owens joed Lorrae to tell his story a bid to spire others to be te to themselv. </p><p class="BVYCX">The Welshman and revered gby referee, who grew up a small and close-kn village Carmarthenshire, was 19 when he started to realise he was different and attracted to men. He hadn't met a gay man before and his feelgs were totally alien to him, so much so that he sperately tried to supprs them. </p><p class="BVYCX">''I was fightg agast beg someone I didn't want to bee,'' Nigel told Lorrae. ''I didn't want to be a gay person.''</p><p class="BVYCX">Alongsi his battle wh prsn and anxiety, Owens veloped bulimia and beme hooked on steroids as he stggled to accept that he was gay. In a shockg bid to put an end to his sexual sir towards men and subsequently all his problems, Owens asked a doctor to chemilly strate him.</p><blockquote class="lLs7Z vr8OE" data-ttid="quote"><p class="ka64y">I didn't want to be a gay person </p><footer class="_2pxnR"><ce class="WTLsF">Nigel Owens stggled to e to terms wh his sexualy </ce></footer></blockquote><div class="_8xmX9 vr8OE" data-ttid="embed-twter"><blockquote class="twter-tweet"><a href="></a></blockquote></div><p class="BVYCX">Aged 24, Owens attempted to take his own life due to his self loathg over his sexual orientatn - a regret he says will plague him for the rt of his life. </p><p class="BVYCX">His parents' vastated reactn ma him realise that he need to 'grow up', e to terms wh his sexualy and accept who he was. </p><p class="BVYCX">''That was the biggt challenge of my life - acceptg who I was,'' Nigel said. </p><div class="_8xmX9 vr8OE" data-ttid="embed-sta"></div><blockquote class="lLs7Z vr8OE" data-ttid="quote"><p class="ka64y">I will owe more to gby than gby will ever owe to me </p><footer class="_2pxnR"><ce class="WTLsF">Nigel Owens has received huge support om the gby muny after g out publicly</ce></footer></blockquote><p class="BVYCX">Owens eventually me out to his parents, aged 34, before g out publicly 2007 shortly before the Rugby World Cup. </p><p class="BVYCX">Fally at peace wh who he is, Nigel has bee an spiratnal voice for the LGBT muny sport. He says the love, warmth and acceptance he has received om the gby muny sce g out has been overwhelmg.</p><p class="BVYCX">''I had huge support om the gby world. I wouldn't be who I am today if I wasn't very fortunate to be the great sport that is gby,'' Nigel said. ''I will owe more to gby than gby will ever owe to me.''</p><p class="BVYCX">Watch the full terview above. </p><p class="BVYCX"><a class="qNUzV" href=">Click here for helpl</a></p></article><asi data-ttid="sibar" class="BkAIC cp_grid cp_grid__em cp_width--ctard--one-third"><h2 class="cp_headg cp_headg--subtle eVU28">Latt Articl</h2><div class="qk6wr cp_grid"><a class="cp_grid__em" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/lorrae/articl/do-you-want-a-makeover-on-lorrae"><article class="_9ngZG y6L7V" data-ttid="tile"><div class="_0qIxo" data-ttid="tile-image-wrapper"><div class="cp_placeholr" data-ttid="tile-picture"></div></div><div class="O7IOg" data-ttid="tile-text-wrapper"><hear><h3 class="r5Yoc"><span>Do you want a makeover on Lorrae? </span></h3><time class="iCsJz iJXFo" dateTime="2023-08-02T10:56:07.441Z" data-ttid="date-time">Wed 2 Aug 11:56am</time><p class="_-6cOu">Do you feel like you need a style shake up to kick off 2023? </p></hear></div></article></a><a class="cp_grid__em" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/lorrae/articl/is-there-a-man--your-life-who-serv-a-makeover"><article class="_9ngZG y6L7V" data-ttid="tile"><div class="_0qIxo" data-ttid="tile-image-wrapper"><div class="cp_placeholr" data-ttid="tile-picture"></div></div><div class="O7IOg" data-ttid="tile-text-wrapper"><hear><h3 class="r5Yoc"><span>Is there a man your life who serv a makeover? </span></h3><time class="iCsJz iJXFo" dateTime="2023-08-02T10:55:37.976Z" data-ttid="date-time">Wed 2 Aug 11:55am</time><p class="_-6cOu">Hairstylist Jonathan Van Ns, our very own Mark Hey and the rt of the Lorrae Glam Squad are lookg for someone who serv the ultimate makeover! </p></hear></div></article></a><a class="cp_grid__em" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/lorrae/articl/zenas-raspberry-tiramisu"><article class="_9ngZG y6L7V" data-ttid="tile"><div class="_0qIxo" data-ttid="tile-image-wrapper"><div class="cp_placeholr" data-ttid="tile-picture"></div></div><div class="O7IOg" data-ttid="tile-text-wrapper"><hear><h3 class="r5Yoc"><span>Zena's Raspberry Tiramisu</span></h3><time class="iCsJz iJXFo" dateTime="2023-07-18T08:39:23.351Z" data-ttid="date-time">Tue 18 Jul 9:39am</time><p class="_-6cOu">Try Zena's h and uy take on the Italian classic! </p></hear></div></article></a></div></asi></ma><div data-ttid="ad-hear-footer"></div></div><div class="rmSd4 _6AExG" data-ttid="bero"><div class="t6G8p" data-ttid="bero-background"><div class="cp_placeholr" data-ttid="bero-background-img"></div><div class="pFzZl" data-ttid="bero-background-vigte"></div></div><div class="m-L3T" data-ttid="bero-ntent"><a class="" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/lorrae"><img data-ttid="bero-logo" src=" class="_6DZGv" alt="Logo of Lorrae" loadg="lazy"/></a><div class="IO3Su CYXst"><i class="cp_in cp_in__logo-v-mono-neg cp_in--ctom-size _2ly3N cp_in--xsmall cp_in--cherry--small" aria-hidn="false"><svg xmlns=" width="100%" height="100%" viewBox="0 0 400 200" aria-label="v" role="img"><tle>v .

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