First All Black player to publicly e out as gay tells his story

Contents:

• CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE: FORMER ALL BLACK HOP G OUT WILL 'TAKE AWAY THE STIGMA' OF BEG GAY
• FIRST ALL BLACK NEW ZEALAND PLAYER OUT AS OPENLY GAY
• CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE PUBLICLY REVEALS SEXUALY, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK
• CAMPBELL JOHNSON, FORMER ALL BLACKS PRO-RUGBY PLAYER, COM OUT AS GAY
• FIRST ALL BLACK PLAYER TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY TELLS HIS STORY
• RUGBY STARS REACT AS CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE BE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK
• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• WHO IS CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE, THE NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS’ FIRST GAY PLAYER?
• FORMER ALL BLACK CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY POWERFUL TV TERVIEW
• FORMER NEW ZEALAND GBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE BE FIRST ALL BLACK TO E OUT AS GAY
• NAMG GAY ALL BLACKS? BRG IT ON!
• ‘IT N ACTUALLY HELP OTHER PEOPLE’: CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK
• RUGBY STARS SHOW SUPPORT FOR FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK
• GAY RUGBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE ON COMG OUT
• FORMER ALL BLACK CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE PRAISED AFTER PUBLICLY G OUT AS GAY
• BLACK FERNS STAR RUBY TUI SHAR MSAGE OF SUPPORT FOR CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK
• FORMER NZ PROP JOHNSTONE BE FIRST ALL BLACK TO E OUT AS GAY
• FORMER ALL BLACK CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT AS GAY

CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE: FORMER ALL BLACK HOP G OUT WILL 'TAKE AWAY THE STIGMA' OF BEG GAY

Former All Black Campbell Johnstone on g out as gayFormer New Zealand prop Campbell Johnstone hop to "take away the prsure and stigma" after beg the first All Black to e out as 43-year-old, who played three Tts 2005, cid not to e out publicly durg his playg reer but had told his iends and fay. "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, " add Johnstone. We want to be clear, no matter who you love, gby has your back, " add Zealand sports mister and former Deputy Prime Mister Grant Robertson, who is gay, also thanked Johnstone for "blazg this trail" and said his announcement was "a big moment".

FIRST ALL BLACK NEW ZEALAND PLAYER OUT AS OPENLY GAY

"In November 2022, Atralian Isaac Humphri beme the send male basketball player to e out as gay while playg after Jason Colls, who me out April 2013. Alai Uned player Josh Cavallo is the only openly gay top-flight male profsnal footballer the world, havg e out as gay October 2021. Meanwhile, May 2022, Blackpool forward Jake Daniels beme the first openly gay active male profsnal footballer the UK.

Sign up to our ee sport newsletter for all the latt news on everythg om cyclg to boxgSign up to our ee sport email for all the latt newsFormer New Zealand prop Campbell Johnstone has bee the first All Black to e out as gay, sayg on a televisn programme he had been “livg a lie” and leadg “a double life” before acknowledgg his sexualy. “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”.

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

RtersJan 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. "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".

A former member of the famed New Zealand natnal gby team has e out as gay. He told prenter Hilary Barry he was g out now to help other gay athlet stgglg the closet. “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, ” the 43-year-old said on Monday.

Today is a signifint day, bee for the first time an All Black is puttg on the rerd publicly that he’s gay. The prop played three All Black Tt match 2005 and ma 72 appearanc for Canterbury and 38 for the told his fay and close iends he was gay but tonight he’s openg up publicly the hope will help other players. Photo / GettyCurrent All Blacks have praised former prop Campbell Johnstone after he has bee the first All Black to publicly e out as gay.

CAMPBELL JOHNSON, FORMER ALL BLACKS PRO-RUGBY PLAYER, COM OUT AS GAY

“If I n be the first All Black that out as gay and take away the prsure and the stigma surroundg the whole issue then n actually help other people. "I'm also hopg to help open the door for anyone stgglg this space" ❤️Former All Blacks prop Campbell Johnstone has e out as the first openly gay male New Zealand gby player — World Rugby (@WorldRugby) January 30, 2023.

FIRST ALL BLACK PLAYER TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY TELLS HIS STORY

Sport Mister and openly gay MP Grant Robertson shared his support for Johnstone on Instagram, llg “a big moment”. ”In 2019, All Black halfback TJ Perenara spoke out about his support for the Rabow muny and the age-old qutn - are Kiwis ready for a gay All Black?

”Perenara said he uldn’t speak on behalf of the All Blacks on whether fans would be ready for an openly gay All Black, but he hoped Kiwis were.

In light of recent ntroversy regardg homophobic slurs by Israel Fol, we thought we would she a light on 10 fluential gay gby personali.

RUGBY STARS REACT AS CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE BE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK

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. Some high-profile stars like Israel Fol have recently ma headl due to potentially homophobic posts on social media. 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.

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

Notable homosexual gby players and personali. Here’s a list of ten notable gay gby players and how they are shapg the game today. The very first high-profile gby player to ever e out to the public as gay is former Atralian ternatnal Ian Roberts.

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. 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.

Sam Stanley beme the first openly gay Rugby Unn and Sevens player the UK. 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.

WHO IS CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE, THE NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS’ FIRST GAY PLAYER?

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.

FORMER ALL BLACK CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY POWERFUL TV TERVIEW

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. 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 star Campbell Johnstone ma history after g out as the first gay All Blacks player.

Campbell Johnstone has generated headl globally after g out as the New Zealand All Blacks’ first out gay player – a great leap forward for LGBTQ+ reprentatn the sport. Campbell Johnstone was already out to fay and iends, but explaed he wanted to share his story publicly to “take away the prsure and stigma surroundg the issue” of gay players gby.

FORMER NEW ZEALAND GBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE BE FIRST ALL BLACK TO E OUT AS GAY

What else do we know about the trailblazg gay gby player?

Former All Black player Campbell Johnstone has publicly e out as gay on New Zealand televisn a first for the natnal gby 43-year-old prop, who played three Tts 2005, had already told his fay and close iends before g out on the TVNZ work’s One News channel. “If I n be the first All Black that out as gay and take away the prsure, I gus, the stigma surroundg that whole issue then n actually help other people and then the public will know that there is one amongst the All Blacks, ” Johnstone The World Rugby 7’s Seri Live on Kayo. ”Sport Mister and openly gay MP Grant Robertson shared his support for Johnstone on Instagram.

Former New Zealand gby player Campbell Johnstone beme the first All Black to e out publicly as gay, an terview wh TVNZ’s Seven Sharp on Monday.

NAMG GAY ALL BLACKS? BRG IT ON!

Mike Lee's extraordarily obte article the Herald this week ignor the importance of gby Kiwi culture and the fight for gay rights.

New Zealand’s stggle for gay rights has advanced leaps and bounds recent years. Ten years ago, gay rights were of tert only to the gay and lbian "mory" who were directly affected. Now, issu like marriage equaly and homophobic bullyg appear to have ught the natnal imagatn.

‘IT N ACTUALLY HELP OTHER PEOPLE’: CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK

The first readg of the untry’s gay marriage bill passed by a healthy majory, and cricism of John Key’s “gay red top” ment was so strong that lnched a natnal mpaign to shame him to eatg his badly chosen words. Not bad for a untry where homosexual sex was only legalised 1986. Now, what’s most enuragg is that gay rights are beg seen for what they tly are – human rights, which don’t jt affect gays and lbians but which say somethg about the kd of tolerant pluralist society that most New Zealanrs want to live .

Personally, I’m lighted that the natn’s media are jog the pundry so enthiastilly, and that ’s beg a tly natnal dialogue – even if the extensn of the nversatn leads to spectacularly obte and ill-rmed articl like Mike Lee's opn piece  this week’s Herald, "Namg gay All Blacks marks sexualy, not talent. Lee’s article follows on the heels of a recent appeal by Rabow Wellgton for a gay All Black to lend his public support to the gay marriage mpaign. Lee’s article queri the lk between gby and homosexualy, and attempts to sever the nnectn, argug that gby players should be marketed as good players, not gay libbers.

RUGBY STARS SHOW SUPPORT FOR FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK

The All Blacks' sponsorship appeal is, he stat, about their reputatn as good players, "not that they're heterosexual or homosexual their private liv.

GAY RUGBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE ON COMG OUT

" He also argu that a gay All Black would smack of tokenism, rryg unreasonable expectatns for that player to over-perform "to avoid accatns of reverse discrimatn.

I’m not sure whether Lee’s ncern is, as his job tle suggts, about the pury of brand promotn, or jt old-school homophobia refully disguised as a no-special-rights libertarian piece. Eher way, 's muddle-head and almost wilfully ignorant about the importance of gby to New Zealand culture, and the potential for posive change that a gay All Black would effect. My iend Dean Knight, law lecturer and -founr of the Krazy Knights, New Zealand’s first gay gby team, has already rpond to Lee's article wh his own opn piece the Herald.

FORMER ALL BLACK CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE PRAISED AFTER PUBLICLY G OUT AS GAY

To which I would like to add my thoughts to why, opposn to Lee, the time is absolutely right for an openly gay All Black. So wh that md, ’s pletely reasonable for gay activists to ask them to engage publicly wh the marriage mpaign.

It’s also reasonable to nclu that an All Black makg a public claratn of support for gay marriage (or, even better, statg that he was gay and that he wanted to marry his boyiend), would have massive fluence New Zealand, perhaps on a par wh US Print Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage last year. Which brgs to the unfortable tth that Lee seems que happy to wave away: to date, there’s been roundg silence om All Blacks on the subject of gay marriage, and there are still no openly gay profsnal gby players.

It would be far better to ask why that silence endur, rather than shggg our shoulrs like Lee do and dissolvg to sterile arguments about sport sponsorship pani acquirg "a gay player or two to tap to niche markets". The other unfortable tth that Lee seems eher obliv to or anx to avoid, is that there is a nnectn between homosexualy, homophobia and gby. The absence of an openly gay All Black or even a straight All Black who’s willg to back the gay marriage mpaign, is evince that this nnectn is as strong and troublg as ever.

BLACK FERNS STAR RUBY TUI SHAR MSAGE OF SUPPORT FOR CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ALL BLACK

And thanks to Dean and other gby playg poofs, ’s also ok for gay men to play gby. The Bgham Cup, an ternatnal gby tournament named honour of the gay gby-playg hero of one of the 9/11 plane hijackgs, attracted over 1, 000 players Manchter 2012, and will be hosted Atralia 2014.

And yet, the pernic effects of homophobia sports culture, New Zealand and abroad, ntue.

FORMER NZ PROP JOHNSTONE BE FIRST ALL BLACK TO E OUT AS GAY

To date, there are only a handful of profsnal gay and lbian sportspeople. Statistilly, ’s evable that there's been a gay or bisexual All Black.

I share Lee's hope that " 100 years' time, beg gay or straight won't be nearly the issue is today all walks of life". Homosexualy sport ntu to be "an issue", and 's unlikely to change until our cultural bastns of pulsory heterosexualy, cludg the All Blacks, change. Lee is wrong to suggt that a gay All Black would unrme the brand or that an All Black's sexualy don't matter.

We still need our gay hairdrsers, florists, artists and repertory theatre directors, but ’s time now for a gay gby player to match them bravery and honty. Havg a gay All Black would make an immeasurable difference to the liv of young gay and lbian kids, who, as we know, suffer unacceptably high levels of bullyg and mental health problems. It would also send a great msage to straight people everywhere that 's ok to be gay.

FORMER ALL BLACK CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT AS GAY

I n’t wa to see the first gay All Black, when he do ci to reveal himself. ‘It n actually help other people’: Campbell Johnstone out as the first openly gay All BlackJanuary 30, 2023 — 6. 43pmCampbell Johnstone has outed himself as the first openly gay player to have reprented New Zealand’s most fluential sportg brand, the All No.

“If I n be the first All Black that out as gay and take away the prsure and the stigma surroundg that whole issue, then n actually help other people, ” Johnstone told Seven Sharp.