As part of Pri Month, BBC Sport looks at why there is a lack of openly gay male MMA fighters and what needs to change.
Contents:
- PRI MONTH: WHY ARE THERE NO OPENLY GAY MALE MMA FIGHTERS?
- SHAD SMH: THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST
- HE'S AN MMA FIGHTER AND GAY
- ARE THERE ANY OPENLY GAY FIGHTERS IN THE UFC (MALE & FEMALE)?
- NYT PROFIL GAY EX-CON ULTIMATE FIGHTER SHAD SMH
- NEW YORK TIM PROFIL SHAD SMH, AN OPENLY GAY CONVICTED FELON MMA FIGHTER
- GAY MMA FIGHTER OUTED
PRI MONTH: WHY ARE THERE NO OPENLY GAY MALE MMA FIGHTERS?
* shad smith gay *
Mola's rabow-themed shorts were ma by the UFC support of Pri MonthWhy are there no openly gay male MMA fighters? "Until there's more people [like Mola] who are vol wantg to create a welg environment, there's gog to be barriers for LGBT athlet - pecially LGBT gay male athlet. "'It's crazy how much we hi who we are'Smh (left) is creded wh beg the first man to e out profsnal MMAThe ntrast between the men's and women's divisns of the MMA is stark, wh Amanda Nun, Liz Carmouche and Molly McCann three of several openly gay female McCann, who tailed her story of g out on the BBC's LGBT Sport Podst, believ gay male fighters are held back by stereotyp.
"I feel like [gay] men are nervo of the backlash they're gog to take, " McCann, 32, told BBC Sport. "To be a gay man, sometim a heterosexual male might nounce that as not very mascule and they will downplay . "I remember at my gym, there were guys who qutned themselv and 's like 'well whatever, if you are [gay] then you are, no problem', " said McCann.
SHAD SMH: THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST
In a long profile today's New York Tim Magaze, Pl Wachter tells the story of Shad Smh, a mixed martial arts fighter who is a nvicted felon and, as far as I know, the only openly gay... * shad smith gay *
"I n pretty much guarantee if straight men knew there was a gay man [ the gym] this day and age that we're now, most of them wouldn't re. Shad Smh: The First Openly Gay Mixed Martial Artist. Smh is gay, and I know of no other profsnal fighter who is openly so.
The amount of misogyny and homophobia among MMA’s hardre fans is appallg. Worse, “the closet”, for gays and lbians, is a terrible prison that breeds nfn, sadns and severs nnectivy to others. Update [2008-3-24 17:55:57 by Le Thomas]:: It looks like a rrectn is due: Shad might be the first openly homosexual male fighter.
HE'S AN MMA FIGHTER AND GAY
Listen to Interview wh MMA Fighter Shad Smh om Sister Sissi. Jarryd terviews the only openly gay male fighter the MMA, Shad Smh, to discs bat sports, dgs and Domick Cz' feet!Subscribe (for ee!), rate and review Sister Sissi on Apple Podsts and Sister Sissi on Twter at @SisterSissi.Sister Sissi is a Lipp Media podst. * shad smith gay *
For all the homophobic dus upset by me reppg pri month on my fight k y’all some u cups ?.
He’s also gay, a piece of his personaly that wrer Pl Wachter explor but do so a matter-of-fact way that should serve as an example to sports wrers who face gay jocks on their beats. In some regards, Smh is siar to Rod Llaneza, an Atlanta kickboxer who is also gay, though he me out after leavg the sport. Matt Hennie, an Atlanta wrer, ntribut to Outsports and has a gay-themed sports blog.
And sce then, a substantial number of UFC fighters have e out as openly gay. Who is the first openly gay female the UFC?
ARE THERE ANY OPENLY GAY FIGHTERS IN THE UFC (MALE & FEMALE)?
Shad Smh is a featherweight and bantamweight mixed martial artist wh a rerd of 12-16 wh two draws as well. He was a pneer as an openly gay MMA fighter. He formerly fought at lightweight. Smh has fought such nam as Jared Papazian (twice), Toby Imada, Nam Phan, Domick Cz, Charl... * shad smith gay *
For stance, Amanda Nun, a female bantamweight fighter, ma history by beg the first openly gay fighter the UFC and the first female two-divisn champn. She also had the honor of petg the first fight between two openly gay fighters. The fact that the gay women were the first to headle the eveng add to their long list of firsts.
NYT PROFIL GAY EX-CON ULTIMATE FIGHTER SHAD SMH
Who is the first openly gay male the UFC? The first openly gay fighter the UFC is Marc Diakie, who pet the lightweight divisn.
Furthermore, Nick Rg, a fighter-nttant, was “exposed” as havg worked gay porn and produced a few films durg the 11th season of the UFC TV show on Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter, ” or TUF.
It’s equently claimed that athlet keep secret bee ’s difficult for fans to accept that an openly gay person uld play sports.
NEW YORK TIM PROFIL SHAD SMH, AN OPENLY GAY CONVICTED FELON MMA FIGHTER
It mak sense that gay athlet rema closeted, as they would not like to jeopardize their reers.
GAY MMA FIGHTER OUTED
However, the UFC will eventually be even more acceptg of openly gay fighters, and hopefully, soon, the athlet will only be judged on the performance they put on the le the ge, not on the basis of anythg else.
Only one gay profsnal fighter exists - Shad Smh of the Uned Stat. Recently, lbian Amanda Nun of Brazil beme the first openly gay dividual to hold a UFC champnship belt. ' Smh is gay, and I know of no other profsnal fighter who is openly so.