Who is Gareth Thomas? Openly gay Wal gby legend and realy star diagnosed wh HIV | The US Sun

openly gay rugby player

A former ternatnal gby star has shocked the sports world by revealg that he is gay.

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DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

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

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. 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.

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.

DAN PALMER PRAISED AFTER BEG FIRST WALLABI PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY

Dev Ibañez out as a gay player profsnal gby and hop to spir others a siar suatn. * openly gay rugby player *

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.

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.

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.

U.S. PRO GBY PLAYER DEV IBAñEZ OUT AS GAY

The Lester scm-half has thanked his ach and teammat for their ‘unbelievable’ support after g out as gay * openly gay rugby player *

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. New Zealand gby stars Ruby Tui and Aaron Smh, among others, praised Johnstone for his bravery on social media, while sports mister Grant Robertson, who is openly gay, thanked him for “blazg this trail” and spirg “future generatns to be open, happy and fortable.

Former referee Nigel Owens me out 2007, and two years later, former Wal ternatnal Gareth Thomas beme the first openly gay top-level male gby player. Both Owens and Thomas have spoken about experiencg suicidal thoughts as they stggled to e to terms wh their sexualy, while former Atralia ternatnal Dan Palmer, who me out as gay 2020, said he “routely numbed” himself wh a “heavy cktail of opids” durg his playg reer.

10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT

Campbell Johnstone has bee the first openly gay All Black, after announcg his sexualy for the first time publicly on New Zealand televisn. * openly gay rugby player *

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 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. Many others have done so the women’s game, to far ls Denison, a rearcher wh Monash Universy’s School of Social Scienc who has nducted studi examg homophobia and homophobic behavur gby, said the siari between the stori of Palmer and Thomas highlighted the lack of progrs on the issue sport environments. “There has been a dramatic improvement public attus towards gay people general society, but we haven’t seen the same chang sport where the nstant e of homophobic language creat a culture where gay people feel unwele, ” Denison said.

LESTER’S NICK MCCARTHY OUT AS GAY AND THANKS CLUB FOR THEIR SUPPORT

Batley Bulldogs prop Keegan Hirst has spoken about the amazg posive reactn after he beme the first gby league player to e out as gay. * openly gay rugby player *

“I’m hopeful that people wh the gby muny will regnise the siary between the stori and unrstand the urgent need to addrs the culture that mak gay people feel unwele and that they have to hi their sexualy to be accepted gby. ”Much progrs has been ma by gby unn recent years, cludg a formal agreement ma between Rugby Atralia and LGBTQ+ and clive teams to fight wh no openly gay active male players, Michael Smh of Internatnal Gay Rugby said there was far more work to be done to create sportg environments which men felt fortable to be themselv. Dev Ibañez, who played profsnally Major League Rugby, has e out as gay social media posts, sayg he has “cid to embrace what I once felt embarrassed of and be proudly and shamelsly myself.

He created his Instagram acunt yterday as “thatgaygger, ” sce he is one of the very few openly gay pro gby players, past or prent. The fal goal beme “Once I sign a pro ntract I will be more vol and bee the first openly gay MLR [Major League Rugby] player.

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

* openly gay rugby player *

I had been separatg gby and my personal life/sexualy sce I was high school bee I didn’t wanna be known as “that gay gger”. I have met some credibly talented LGBTQ gby players over the years, many of whom were blackballed om playg a high level solely due to beg gay. As of now I am the only openly gay gby player to earn a ntract wh an MLR si (At least I haven’t heard of any others, would love to talk wh anyone who has.

CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE PUBLICLY REVEALS SEXUALY, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK

Fd out why the first openly-gay All Black gby player hid his sexualy, the ntradictns of livg a double life, and how young athlet n break down the stereotyp an exclive terview wh * openly gay rugby player *

Rugby is one of the most loved sports the world and due to s physily, is regard as a “manly” sport, which mak more difficult for gay players to publicly acknowledge their preference.

FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER KEEGAN HIRST 'OVERWHELMED AND HUMBLED' BY SUPPORT

Leicter Cy and England fenr Conor Coady believ players would have no problem wh a teammate g out as gay. * openly gay rugby player *

Nigel Owens, one of the bt refere the world, is openly gay and has been vol about how the gby world has been hugely acmodatg. It is the sport’s rponsibily to posively promote anti-homophobia, and anti-bullyg general, so that the majory of people who are acceptg have a lour voice than those who prott. After his Saturday afternoon on the pch, is reported that Roberts would spend Saturday night on Oxford Street, Sydney’s gay quarter.

THE URAGEO JOURNEY OF IAN ROBERTS, GBY LEAGUE'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER

The world’s first gay gby club, the Kgs Cross Steelers, celebrat s 20th anniversary. * openly gay rugby player *

Followg the footsteps of Ian Roberts who may have been the first high-profile player to openly adm beg gay, Keegan Hirst was arguably the first ever to do while still actively playg gby. Currently a Wakefield Try prop, Hirst has bee one of the most notable gay athlet, earng him a startg role after signg a ntract wh the League si 2016.

RUGBY STAR GARETH THOMAS: I'M GAY

In an terview wh the Sunday Mirror, the now divorced father of two and self-nfsed gay tells of the moment he fally found the words to expla to his wife the reason they uld no longer be together. He fends himself by sayg, “Millns of people are the suatn, even people who have been Lrence’s (his partner) suatn and they are still married but are gay.

As a young spired player he stated, “…this is pretty spirg for me as a fairly new player who happens to be gay, I had held off pursug gby bee of but the guys i play wh give no shs whatsoever and we have good banter about .

GAY RUGBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE ON COMG OUT

A large athlete at 6 ft 4 (193 cm) and 225 pounds (102 kg), Bgham was a robt send-row man who played for the gay-clive San Francis Fog RFC and was a favore for his teammat the gby songs that he tght them. To honor him, The Mark Kendall Bgham Memorial Tournament, simply known as the Bgham Cup and was started 2002, is a biennial gay gby unn tournament is named after the former gby player. Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas was a profsnal Welsh Rugby player who broke one of the biggt taboos the sport when he announced his homosexualy 2009.

MEET GARETH THOMAS, FIRST GBY PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY

In 2010 he was voted the most fluential gay person the UK The Inpennt on Sunday Pk Listand received Stonewall’s Hero of the Year. He scribed his experience as a secretly gay player, revealg how social prsure and stereotyp pose a signifint challenge for many athlet today. He is a voted activist for the LGBT e, wng “Gay Sports Personaly of the De” at the Stonewall awards ceremony London back 2015.

The Lester scm-half Nick McCarthy has e out as gay, and thanked ach Leo Cullen and Stuart Lanster for their “unbelievable” support. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho/ShutterstockFellow Lester player Dunne revealed his bisexualy last year, around the same time Nassib announced he was gay and a few months before Atralian Cavallo ma headl across the world by sharg his news. Atralian A-League soccer star Josh Cavallo me out as gay an October vio posted to his social media, beg hailed as the first current male top-flight profsnal soccer player to publicly do so.

"He ntued: "Growg up I always felt the need to hi myself, you know, bee I was ashamed, and ashamed I'll never be able to do what I love and be gay. In a September terview wh USA Today, 25-year-old mor league baseball player beme the only active baseball profsnal to be out as gay! The 28-year-old Natnal Football League player and Rairs fensive leman ma history when he me out as gay on Instagram durg Pri Month, beg the first veteran NFL player to e out as gay while signed to a regular-season ntract.

NEW ZEALAND GBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE: "IN MY HEAD BEG GAY WAS NOT A PART OF THAT IMAGE"

The Bachelor star and former football player (who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted ee agent and was on the practice squad of the Oakland Rairs and the Philalphia Eagl) me out as gay April, sayg he had fally e to terms wh his sexualy and the "next step all of this was sort of lettg people know.

CONOR COADY EXCLIVE: OPENLY GAY PLAYER AT TOP LEVEL WOULD BE ACCEPTED "WHOUT A DOUBT"

Corey Walsh, the 27-year-old pro BMX rir and Vans spokperson, said he isn't normally the type of person to "let people " on his personal life, but felt was important to e out as gay a March Instagram post bee "there are a lot of people still stgglg wh the same suatns" and he "jt wanted to let people know that they are not alone.

WORLD’S FIRST GAY GBY CLUB TURNS 20: ‘NO-ONE HAD SEEN PLAYERS LIKE BEFORE’

Champn long track speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy never hid beg gay om his fay, iends, and fellow athlet, but he also wasn't one to rate his locker wh rabow Pri flags eher. He ially feared negative stereotyp about gay male athlet but threw those ncerns asi after his two-tle performance at the U. 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.

Campbell Johnstone publicly reveals sexualy, be first openly gay All BlackProbabl ont row Campbell Johnstone (left), Derren Wbe and Clarke Dermody pack down durg the All Black trial won 37-32 by the Possibl at McLean Park, Napier New Zealand, Friday Jun. Photo by Ross Land/Getty ImagRtersJan 30, 2023, 01:53 AM ETFormer New Zealand prop Campbell Johnstone has bee the first All Black to e out as gay, sayg on a televisn programme on Monday he had been "livg a lie" and leadg "a double life" before acknowledgg his sexualy.

SAM STANLEY IS FIRST ENGLISH GBY PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY

"If I n be the first All Black that out as gay and take away the prsure and stigma surroundg the issue n actually help other people, " Johnstone said.

We want to be clear, no matter who you love, gby has your back, " Robson Zealand Sports Mister and former puty Prime Mister Grant Robertson, who is gay, thanked Johnstone for "blazg this trail" and said his announcement was "a big moment". "I don't thk there will be a Spartac-like thg where everyone out and says 'I'm gay', but if a uple of people do then 's a good thg. "Cross- ternatnal Gareth Thomas was prevly the only openly homosexual gby player after he me out whilst playg for gby unn si Cardiff Blu 2009.

Aborigals, Polynians, Melanians and Southern European migrants provid the game’s first diversy om s Anglo-Celtic base and the terlopers were accepted if they plied wh the and “pped sweet” had no place for homosexual men and to be labeled gay was a slur implyg weakns. And that’s the way remaed until a pneer smashed the stereotype, beg the game’s first openly homosexual player, a precursor, a full 20 years before Keegan Hirst, the Batley Bulldogs player who this weekend beme the first Brish player to do likewise.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* OPENLY GAY RUGBY PLAYER

First openly gay player Keegan Hirst 'overwhelmed and humbled' by support - Eurosport .

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