Dan Palmer praised after beg first Wallabi player to e out as gay | Rugby unn | The Guardian

Contents:

• DAN PALMER PRAISED AFTER BEG FIRST WALLABI PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY
• RUGBY ATRALIA STRIK ALLIANCE WH ATRALIA'S GAY AND CLIVE RUGBY CLUBS
• FORMER WALLABI PROP BE FIRST ATRALIAN GBY TERNATNAL TO E OUT AS GAY
• 10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT
• IS GBY AS GAY AS LOOKS? A CURUFC PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE
• 'MY OWN ATH FELT PREFERABLE TO ANYBODY DISVERG': FORMER WALLABY DAN PALMER OUT AS GAY POWERFUL LUMN
• DAN PALMER, FORMER PRO GBY PLAYER, OUT AS GAY TEAR-JERKER OP-ED

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

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. ”Former Wal pta Thomas revealed he was gay 2009, while still actively playg.

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. “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.

RUGBY ATRALIA STRIK ALLIANCE WH ATRALIA'S GAY AND CLIVE RUGBY CLUBS

”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. “Dpe all the progrs we’ve ma around gay rights society, gay athlet still feel like they need to hi their sexualy. “Atralian gby, and the gby teams which Dan played for, have been credibly supportive of the need to addrs homophobia.

FORMER WALLABI PROP BE FIRST ATRALIAN GBY TERNATNAL TO E OUT AS GAY

We need to addrs the disnnect between everyone’s sire to be clive and the actual experienc of gay players. “Most gay male athlet still feel they need to hi their sexualy.

10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT

The top eight teams qualify for the was the only club planng to wear a pri jersey this Manly forward Ian Roberts, who the 1990s was the first high-profile gby league player to e out as gay, said he was not surprised by the players’ cisn.

“As an olr gay man I’m ed to this. Rugby Atralia has stck a formal alliance wh Atralia’s four gay and clive Rugby Clubs and Internatnal Gay Rugby (IGR) wh the aim of growg Rugby participatn amongst the LGBTIQA+ muny Atralia.

Wh a primary charter to grow the participatn rate of people playg Rugby the LGBTIQA+ muny, the Commtee will look to intify barriers and propose solutns to promote participatn, as well as tg the Rugby muny about the impact of homophobia on the safety and wellbeg of LGBTIQA+ participants. The Commtee will also look to strengthen and grow the existg four gay and clive Rugby Clubs – Sydney Convicts, Melbourne Chargers, Brisbane Htlers and Perth Rams – and support the velopment of new Clubs. Rugby Atralia Chief Executive, Raelene Castle said: “Rugby Atralia has worked closely wh the gay and clive Rugby clubs to velop a program to further support the velopment of Rugby the LGBTIQA+ muny.

IS GBY AS GAY AS LOOKS? A CURUFC PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE

As part of the partnership, Rugby Atralia will also work alongsi the clubs and IGR to brg the Bgham Cup - the biennial world champnships of gay Rugby - back to Atralia, havg hosted the tournament for the first time 2014 Sydney. Former Wallabi prop be first Atralian gby ternatnal to e out as gay (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Imag) One-tt Atralia prop Dan Palmer has bee the first Wallabi player to e out as gay, wrg a newspaper lumn on Friday of mental health issu and dg problems while g to terms wh his 32-year-old wrote the Sydney Morng Herald of the anguish of “livg the dream” as an ele athlete while beg trapped a “false narrative”. It is not an exaggeratn to say my own ath felt preferable to anybody disverg I was gay.

'MY OWN ATH FELT PREFERABLE TO ANYBODY DISVERG': FORMER WALLABY DAN PALMER OUT AS GAY POWERFUL LUMN

After gog public 2009, Thomas also revealed stggl wh personal mons while ncealg his, who played tighthead prop for Atralia agast Stland 2012, said he had overdosed on pakillers while France and woken up a “pool of the prev day’s food” moment was transformative, and he flew to London to share his secret for the first time wh a he said he had never felt discrimated agast the gby environment, Palmer was motivated to e out after former Wallabi fullback Israel Fol posted on social media that hell awas “homosexuals” who do not, a fundamentalist Christian, had his Wallabi ntract torn up by Rugby Atralia last might be achg royalty New Zealand but Steve Hansen's been given a prod om his succsor to leave the All Blacks alone.

”Only a handful of ele gby unn players have e Stanley, who played gby sevens for England, beme the first English profsnal gby unn player to e out ternatnal gby unn referee Nigel Owens, one of the game’s most popular and regnisable officials, me out 2007 and long champned cln for gay sportsmen and ’s lumn triggered an outpourg of support om former team mat and other gby figur.

DAN PALMER, FORMER PRO GBY PLAYER, OUT AS GAY TEAR-JERKER OP-ED

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.