Gay surfers get their own social work—and documentary

Contents:

• GAY SURFER FILM OUT IN THE LP HS THE BIG SCREEN, WS AWARDS
• THE OUTFIELD: RIPP’
• ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC
• YOUNG IRISH SURFER TO BE FIRST OPENLY GAY SURFER ON WORLD TOUR
• THE GAY PENGUS OF ATRALIA
• PHOTOS: CHANGG THE TI FOR GAY SURFERS
• NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY

GAY SURFER FILM OUT IN THE LP HS THE BIG SCREEN, WS AWARDS

And as the membership grew – to clu many who thought they were only gay surfer the world – so did the stori. Surfers, cludg many profsnal on, were wrg to Castets to expla how they had felt pelled to keep their sexualy secret, faced homophobia the sport or stggled the surf dtry as a rult of g year Thomas, along wh Atralian former state champn surfer David Wakefield – who chose not to pursue a surfg reer out of a fear of beg “found out” as gay – cid to go on a trip around the world to meet some of them. Their journey – ptured award-wng documentary Out the Le-up, which premier the UK this week – sheds a light on the experienc of gay surfers around the world as seeks to unrstand why the sport ntu to stggle to be open about the the stori heard are that of former petive surfer Sie Hernanz, whose fellow surfers and roommat moved out after fdg out she was gay.

It also touch on the tragic se of Ben Roper, a young gay surfer om one of Sydney’s famo surf gangs, the Bra Boys, who killed himself last year.

“I have seen so many talented female surfers e and go bee they didn’t have the support om the surfg dtry due to the fact that they were eher gay, spected of beg gay, not feme enough or they simply did not f the image that brands believe sells product, ” she says. “To e out as gay the surfg dtry is to step out of the bounds of what is nsired ‘marketable’, so I suffered the nsequenc of that, ” she actn shot om Out the Le-up.

THE OUTFIELD: RIPP’

Photograph: PRFor Ian Thomson, who directed the documentary and is himself gay and a surfer, is not jt the profsnal aspect of surfg that n feel very hostile to a gay person. The way a lot of the guys do that is by puttg other people down, and homophobic slurs are part of that.

And you get this msage that if any way I show my te self – my homosexualy – I’m jt gonna get massacred out here. ”The issue of homosexualy and surfg draws a lot of wir problems the sport has wh diversy general – somethg that seems at odds wh the easy-gog, unterculture liftyle many feel reprents.

ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC

There is still yet to be an openly gay male pro surfer at the ele level who is currently on tour – spe the fact that more tradnal sports, such as football, gby and boxg, have had succsful athlet e out. And another e is jt that there have never really been any gay surfers out there, so I would jt ll that ignorance and a lack of visibily.

”The aim of the film – which has been shortlisted to be ed as part of the tn programme Atralian high schools – is not simply to challenge homophobia surfg, but also to help refe and mornise the image of homosexualy general. “The media is still picturg gay people as livg the cy, wearg the same cloth, gog to parti …” says Castets, who feels that the perceptn of gay culture – a siar way to surfg – hasn’t evolved much sce the 80s. “I thought if we were able to make this film, we would be able to change that stereotype and show a new image of what is to be gay 2014.

Sydney is Atralia’ largt cy and is home to Atralia’s largt group of gay surfers, a iendly, socially active lot that meets regularly for group surfs and other surf related activi.

YOUNG IRISH SURFER TO BE FIRST OPENLY GAY SURFER ON WORLD TOUR

Surfers, cludg many profsnal on, were wrg to Castets to expla how they had felt pelled to keep their sexualy secret, faced homophobia the sport or stggled the surf dtry as a rult of g out. Last year Thomas, along wh Atralian former state champn surfer David Wakefield – who chose not to pursue a surfg reer out of a fear of beg “found out” as gay – cid to go on a trip around the world to meet some of them.

Their journey – ptured award-wng documentary Out the Le-up, which premier the UK this week – sheds a light on the experienc of gay surfers around the world as seeks to unrstand why the sport ntu to stggle to be open about the issue. Among the stori heard are that of former petive surfer Sie Hernanz, whose fellow surfers and roommat moved out after fdg out she was gay. “To e out as gay the surfg dtry is to step out of the bounds of what is nsired ‘marketable’, so I suffered the nsequenc of that, ” she says.

THE GAY PENGUS OF ATRALIA

For Ian Thomson, who directed the documentary and is himself gay and a surfer, is not jt the profsnal aspect of surfg that n feel very hostile to a gay person. The issue of homosexualy and surfg draws a lot of wir problems the sport has wh diversy general – somethg that seems at odds wh the easy-gog, unterculture liftyle many feel reprents. The aim of the film – which has been shortlisted to be ed as part of the tn programme Atralian high schools – is not simply to challenge homophobia surfg, but also to help refe and mornise the image of homosexualy general.

John Tanzella, chief executive of the Internatnal Gay and Lbian Travel Associatn, says ’s an enuragg trend, but he worri there’s a risk of gay vatners beg targeted as a “niche. “When you’re planng that dream trip ’s still important to work wh travel profsnals who unrstand the needs of gay travelers as dividuals, ” he adds.

PHOTOS: CHANGG THE TI FOR GAY SURFERS

Cape Town is nsired the most gay-iendly cy Ai and attracts LGBT people om across the ntent, addg to an tertg lol cultural mix. Honeymoon hotspot: Many gay travelers hang out on Super Paradise and Elia beach, which n get noisy at night – and somewhat naked durg the day.

Honeymoon hotspot: The gay sectn at Hlover Beach (10800 Colls Ave., Bal Harbour, Florida; +1 305 947 3525) is a popular post-party place to unwd. The cy’s annual gay pri, which is sponsored by the ernment, draws gay men and women om all over the world.

NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY

In 2012, travel gui named Tel Aviv the gayt cy on the pla – at least 100, 000 gay men are expected to vis this year. Honeymoon hotspot: Tel Aviv don’t have a gay village bee the whole cy nsirs self gay-iendly, but Rothschild Avenue is a particular foc, where as many same-sex upl walk hand hand as straight upl.

Brighton is, whout doubt, Bra’s gayt town and has an anythg-go reputatn not jt for romance, but also for art, clubbg and all kds of culture. Honeymoon hotspot: Club Revenge (32-34 Old Stee St., Brighton; +44 1273 606 064) has been a fixture of gay Brighton’s nightlife for two s. There are more than a dozen gay-iendly hotels Puerto Vallerta, the town on Mexi’s Pacific ast that’s home to the untry’s biggt gay scene.

The cy is famoly LGBT-iendly, nowhere more so than the center of gay Sydney: Taylor Square on Oxford Street.

Honeymoon hotspot: As a harbor cy, Sydney offers opportuni to polish surfg skills on some of the lol beach, such as the world-famo Bondi – which claims to be the lotn of the first ever gay surfers’ group surf. The center for Spa’s gay scene is 20 (32 kilometers) along the ast om the stunng archecture and cultural life of Barcelona.