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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

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.

Contents:

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

* 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. 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. "Although that’s not to say that the sport is openly homophobic.

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 *

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

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

Did you enunter much homophobia after g out as gay? 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. 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.

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

''Alongsi his battle wh prsn and anxiety, Owens veloped bulimia and beme hooked on steroids as he stggled to accept that he was gay. 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.

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

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.

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

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.

Publicly me out as a gay 2007 makg him the first openly gay gby referee.

Stonewall’s Gay Sports Personaly of the De. Nigel Owens is a profsnal gby unn referee who ma history by g out as gay 2007.

THE ONLY GAY ON THE PCH

One of the most regnisable figur the game, Nigel is the world’s first openly gay referee and has overseen some of the sport’s biggt match. Away om the pch, he has bee an tablished LGBT speaker who n rell the difficulti of beg gay such a mascule sport at rporate, public and Pri events. Nigel always stggled wh his sexualy, particularly due to homosexualy beg stigmatised the world of sport.

This clus beg named ‘Gay Sports Personaly of the Year’ 2007 and 2015 ‘Gay Sports Personaly of the De. A te gay in, Nigel leav a roundg impact on dienc at events. Owens, 47, is known as gby’s trailblazer, the first man the sport to e out as gay and to she a light on his battle wh prsn and attempted suici.

Across the hour that he discs mental health, prsn, bereavement and homosexualy, the word ‘acceptance’ is one he returns to often.

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

It took Owens until the age of 26 to accept he was gay and another seven years before he told anyone.

Owens on the first gay footballerNIGEL OWENS believ football’s first player to e out as gay will be supported by the sport — but he urg to be for the right reason. Gay gby referee Nigel Owens has spoken out about ncealg his sexualy, explag that he once hid a date a Pizza Hut Swansea when a former Wal ternatnal player walked . The Welsh ternatnal referee, who publicly me out as gay 2007, explaed that he nstantly lived fear of others disverg his sexualy earlier on his reer.

Nigel Owens is the only openly gay official top level gbyReferee Nigel Owens has weled the ban of two people for shoutg homophobic abe at him durg England's loss to New Welsh official, 43, who is the first openly gay man to referee at the hight level, said he would be willg to meet the supporters. A send vtigatn is still ongog to a separate cint of alleged homophobic abe a different part of the ground.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* NIGEL GAY RUGBY REFEREE

The only gay on the pch | LGBTQ+ rights | The Guardian .

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