Lester’s Nick McCarthy out as gay and thanks club for their support | Lester | The Guardian

Contents:

• HEARD OF THE STEELERS? NO, NOT THEM, THE GAY GBY TEAM OM LONDON
• GAY PRO GBY PLAYER SPIRED TO E OUT BY LOVE OF HIS BOYIEND
• NASHVILLE’S GAY RUGBY TEAM STRIPS DOWN, SHOWERS UP FOR 2016 CALENDAR: PHOTOS
• GAY GBY PLAYER TEXAS SHAR HIS PRI VIO TO SPIRE OTHERS TO LOVE THEMSELV
• GAY CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND | THE ESSENTIAL LGBT TRAVEL GUI!
• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• 10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT
• LESTER’S NICK MCCARTHY OUT AS GAY AND THANKS CLUB FOR THEIR SUPPORT
• JOG THE WORLD'S FIRST GAY GBY TEAM CHANGED MY LIFE. SO I MA A FILM ABOUT
• THE BT GAY BARS LONDON
• PLANS FOR 'GAY CAFE' WATERFORD GIVEN €10K BOOST
• U.S. PRO GBY PLAYER DEV IBAñEZ OUT AS GAY
• LICHT CAFé, D.C.’S NEWT GAY BAR, IS A COZY, ART-FILLED U STREET HIAWAY
• TACKLG HOMOPHOBIC ATTUS: THE STRAIGHT MEN WHO PLAY FOR GAY GBY CLUBS

HEARD OF THE STEELERS? NO, NOT THEM, THE GAY GBY TEAM OM LONDON

Niamh LewisMar 1, 2021, 09:52 AM ETWhen Eammon Ashton-Atkson, an Atralian televisn reporter, cid to film his gby club as they went to the biannual Bgham Cup 2018, he uld never have imaged the posive reactn a documentary about would film Steelers is about London-based Kgs Cross Steelers, the world's first gay gby club and one of over 60 such sis world-wi. Although the stori the film are related to the stggl of g out, prsn, and a history of bullyg for beg gay, they're are told a way which wir dienc n empathise wh. "It's a story about a gay gby club, but 's also a story about human stggle, and people g sport and their sense of muny to help each other, which is universal, " Ashton-Atkson told ESPN.

"She's got a certifite for the hight achg level, and sce she left the Steelers she's been nsistently overlooked and not even shortlisted [for jobs] than men who are ls qualified and ls experienced than her, which is heart-breakg and disgtg, " Ashton-Atkson beg gay 2021 wtern society is often unremarkable today, you don't have to go back very far to fd trmatic stori. "That's a thought that do go through your md, and while 's generally a posive there are still pockets of homophobia.

Then, 2019, Atralia's Israel Fol spouted his famo anti-gay ments on Instagram, sayg "hell awas" gay opened the drawer and started the ed aga om scratch, and turned to the unnventnal documentary has bee. "Wh beg gay, you don't thk that I grew up sperately wantg to change my sexualy, like, wishg the gay away?

GAY PRO GBY PLAYER SPIRED TO E OUT BY LOVE OF HIS BOYIEND

They were dubbed the tabloids as 'Harlequeens, ' there was homophobic ments, and a fear over ntractg HIV and AIDS.

"For those of who grew up when wasn't ok to be gay, jt really before the ter was mon, there was huge stigma.

You had Margaret Thatcher's Sectn 28 [a law brought the UK by a Conservative ernment om 1988-2003 to the "prohib the promotn of homosexualy"], misnceptns about the HIV vis, " Ashton-Atkson explas. "For those guys who were settg up that team 1995, they were real trailblazers bee they were gog out to different teams Essex week--week out smashg down stereotyp one game of gby at a time and om what I heard, the men Essex, they had never met an openly gay man before, let alone an openly gay sportsman. "And one of the thgs we've been workg on wh Harlequs and Monash Universy is that a lot of that isn't actually homophobia, 's the culture of clubs, the challeng of languag not beg followed through.

NASHVILLE’S GAY RUGBY TEAM STRIPS DOWN, SHOWERS UP FOR 2016 CALENDAR: PHOTOS

Wh lots of new Gay & Inclive Rugby Clubs settg up across the globe each year, ’s more and more likely that you live close enough to one to get volved wh and enjoy all kds of gby – regardls of your genr, sexualy, ethnicy, relign, size or gby the Map Search below or scroll through the Global Club Listgs lower down this page to fd an IGR club.

A month prr, my partner Ferg and I had created an Instagram acunt — thatgaygger — and I cid to fally share somethg I had long kept separate om my gby reer. As did last year, the Nashville Grizzli gay and clive gby team jt released s 2016 fundraisg lendar and the gby beef is on display aga to raise money for the team and their hostg of next year's Bgham Cup!

GAY GBY PLAYER TEXAS SHAR HIS PRI VIO TO SPIRE OTHERS TO LOVE THEMSELV

Named after Mark Bgham, who died the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Bgham Cup is the biggt tournament the world for gay and clive teams and this will be the first year has been hosted the South. RELATED: Keegan Hirst Be First Brish Pro Rugby League Player to Come Out as Gay: ‘Now I Feel Free'. And Don't Miss Last Year's Hotns: Nashville's Gay Rugby Team Gets Wet, Muddy, and Shirtls for New Calendar: PHOTOS.

As Towleroad reported earlier this year, USA Rugby, the natnal erng body for the sport of gby unn the Uned Stat, has signed “a memorandum of unrstandg” wh Internatnal Gay Rugby ahead of next year's Bgham Cup Nashville. To mark their 20th anniversary as the UK's first gay gby team, the Kgs Cross Steelers stipped down and posed for a new book to be published by die 'ze Meat. All the players were photographed by Meat's founr, Adrian, who started Meat 2010, said that he was "tired of the body shamg that go on wh the gay muny.

GAY CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND | THE ESSENTIAL LGBT TRAVEL GUI!

The Steelers has not only helped pave the way for clive gby teams but also helped hanged perceptns about gay sportsmen.

"Alex Smh, Chairman of the Kgs Cross Steelers said: "Dpe so much progrs over the last 20 years, n still be very difficult to be an out gay man, ma even more so by a lot of unhelpful noise around how to be, act or look wh the muny. "He add: "For two s, our club has helped hundreds of men - big, small, gay or straight - realize the great maxim about gby: that is a game for people of all shap and siz - tly a sport for everyone.

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

I say the words a 16-mute vio I did for FLOSports for Pri month, talkg about my journey as a gby player and gay man. From the breathtakg views of the Southern Alps to the quirky street art and btlg markets, Gay Christchurch is a cy that ters to all kds of travelers, cludg fabulo queers.

10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT

You’ll feel right at home here, as you explore the many gay-owned and gay-iendly tablishments, attend events and ftivals, and soak the lol culture. However, let’s get the sad news out of the way first by statg Gay Christchurch has still yet to fully rever om the adly 2010 and 2011 earthquak (and we are not sure ever will…).

To be clear, the cy was never a mec for gay life the way Sydney, Melbourne or even Auckland are, but when 80% of buildgs the central cy need to be molished after the quake – so went much of the gay tablishments Christchurch. When most gay bars and clubs Christchurch were damaged the earthquak, the gay muny here flocked to other venu and realized they felt jt as fortable – th today, the one gay bar Christchurch to re-open, if almost gay name only and the old gay scene is unlikely to return anytime soon.

In this article we will To Do In Gay Christchurch Attractns Gay Christchurch Gay Thgs To Do In Christchurch Gay-Friendly and Gay Hotels ChristchurchChristchurch Gay Nightlife SceneGay Bars ChristchurchRemend Bars ChristchurchGay Sna ChristchurchGay Map Of Christchurch. Don’t expect anythg like the sane laneways of Gay Melbourne, but the talented street art and mural have now bee a strong element of the cy’s ever-changg streetspe!

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

Summer or wter, they are perfect for visg all year round (and for extra romance, you uld nsir stayg overnight at Herage Hanmer Sprgs – or jt head to Gay Queenstown and their fabulo wter pri ski week. The most active gay group Christchurch, anizg monthly drks, brewery tours, and ffee and movie events around the cy.

Bears Christchurch is a diverse and welg social group for gay men of all ag and their iends, so why not head along? Inspirg, tg, memoratg, celebratg, and revalizg the diverse LGBT+ muny Gay Christchurch, this is one event worth planng your trip around. Christchurch pri also anized other gay events throughout the year, which is always worth checkg out.

In this very LGBT-iendly untry, every hotel and hostel Christchurch n be nsired gay-iendly – after all, beg gay-iendly is not all about upsle luxury, but about providg iendly and open service and welg everyone wh open arms! However, a few fabulo and clive hotels Christchurch are well-known hot spots for gay travelers to stay, thanks to their lotn and style.

JOG THE WORLD'S FIRST GAY GBY TEAM CHANGED MY LIFE. SO I MA A FILM ABOUT

The followg gay-iendly hotels and acmodatns Christchurch are only the most popular wh gay travelers, but there are also hundreds of other hotels Christchurch if you don’t fd que what you are lookg for. Whether you want a fun and social hostel, a cheap place to crash after a night of partyg or a signer high-rise optn to sip chic cktails and surround yourself wh fabulo people – Gay Christchurch is somethg for everyone! A multi-award-wng luxury boutique hotel, and our favore place to stay sce there is no gay hotel Christchurch.

There is also plenty of morn art, lic food, and we, all refully orchtrated to provi a remarkable settg for your time Gay Christchurch. A ntemporary hotel a ncrete tower, close to the cy center and the only gay bar Christchurch.

THE BT GAY BARS LONDON

This cy might not be the shg star on the gay travel map, but tst , there’s still plenty of sparkle to be found. Christchurch is full of LGBT lols who don’t feel the need to be nfed to jt one gay bar – which is good sce there is only one! The gay hook-up app scene is thrivg and is a great way to make new iends, get ved to exclive hoe parti, and jo a group for a night out on the town.

Oh honey, Christchurch’s only gay bar, Cz, is open Wednday to Sunday, but let’s not get too exced. In theory, ’s got all the makgs of a fab gay club, but let’s be real – ’s lost alot of s sparkle.

PLANS FOR 'GAY CAFE' WATERFORD GIVEN €10K BOOST

Now, here’s the tea: Cz has a b of a reputatn for transphobia, which is jt a bizarre and sad vibe for a gay venue. Look no further, bee the Ardia Retro Ar and Pball Emporia Christchurch are ready to serve up a heapg helpg of gay-iendly fun wh a si of nostalgia.

Unlike Queenstown and so many USA statns we vis … At, Nashville, Santa Cz, Honolulu… there is actually a gay sna Christchurch.

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

While Grdr and other gay hookup apps have led to a closg of gay snas and bathho worldwi, we are happy to report that that gay sna Christchurch is still rather popular! Use our gay map of Christchurch at the end to get a better look at the layout and to ci where to stay. The only gay sna Christchurch now that the Box has closed, but luckily even wh no lol petn, Meniends is still one of the bt gay snas New Zealand.

LICHT CAFé, D.C.’S NEWT GAY BAR, IS A COZY, ART-FILLED U STREET HIAWAY

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. 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.

TACKLG HOMOPHOBIC ATTUS: THE STRAIGHT MEN WHO PLAY FOR GAY GBY CLUBS

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.

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. 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.