Who is Gareth Thomas? Openly gay Wal gby legend and realy star diagnosed wh HIV | The US Sun

gay welsh rugby star

GAY Welsh gby star Gareth Thomas has been hailed a “hero” the US after an terview on one of the untry’s biggt talk shows.

Contents:

WHO IS GARETH THOMAS? OPENLY GAY WAL GBY UNN LEGEND AND REALY STAR DIAGNOSED WH HIV

Wal gby unn ternatnal Gareth Thomas has announced that he is gay an terview Bra's Daily Mail newspaper. * gay welsh rugby star *

He me out as gay 2009, makg him the first openly gay profsnal gby unn player - and will be a star on ITV's new show The Real Full Monty on Ice.

2 The former Welsh ternatnal me out as gay after his marriage broke up and said he hoped would enurage other young gay gby playersCred: Getty Imag.

When did Gareth Thomas e out as gay?

WHO IS GARETH THOMAS? OPENLY GAY WAL GBY UNN LEGEND AND REALY STAR DIAGNOSED WH HIV

Speculatn is growg that other gay sports stars may follow su * gay welsh rugby star *

In December 2009, Thomas announced publicly that he is gay. He said he did not want to be known as a "gay gby player" but simply as a "gby player".

In a recent terview wh the Gay Tim, Thomas said he origally thought gettg diagnosed wh HIV was a ath sentence.

“People don’t unrstand the facts about HIV, ” Thomas told the Gay Tim. He was also the first profsnal gby unn player to announce that he was gay, when he me out 2009. Thomas married his wife, Jemma, 2002, but they later divorced before he announced that he was gay 2009.

LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD

* gay welsh rugby star *

HIV stands for Human Immunoficiency Vis - the immunoficiency is the weakeng of the immune system by the visIf untreated n lead to late-stage HIV or Aids, the name for a llectn of illns ed by the visMeditn helpg those wh HIV to live long, healthy liv has been available for sMorn meditn rc the viral load to untectable levels, meang someone n't pass on HIV and their health is protectedThere were more than 106, 000 people livg wh HIV the UK 2020Mr Thomas won 100 ps for Wal and three for the Lns durg his playg days which saw him play for Bridgend, Cardiff, Touloe and Cardiff end his reer wh Welsh gby league si Csars before retirg years earlier, he beme the first openly gay profsnal gby unn player when he me 2019, he revealed on Twter that he had HIV, sayg he wanted to end the stigma around on this story.

Former Wal pta and ternatnal gby star turned LGBT mpaigner Gareth Thomas has been acced of “ceptively” transmtg HIV to an 48-year-old is beg sued the High Court by his former boyiend Ian Bm for allegedly hidg his HIV stat and “failg to take reasonable re” not to pass the fectn Thomas reportedly tends to strongly ntt the reprentativ were ntacted for a 's reported if Mr Bm ws urt, he uld claim damag of £150, 000 or pair were a relatnship between me out as gay 2009 and revealed his HIV stat publicly 2019. “That rmatn, had bee publicly known, would have been extremely damagg to the fendant’s public reputatn as a person who had spoken out about his homosexualy and LGBTQ issu, ” urt documents said. ”Mr Thomas ma history 2009 by beg the world’s first openly gay gby reer clus 100 ps for Wal, reprentg the untry four Rugby World Cups, and beg the Brish and Irish Lns publicly revealed he was livg wh HIV 2019 and ss on the HIV Commissn, which aims to end new s of the disease by De of Ssex attends a Terrence Higgs Tst event wh former Wal gby pta Gareth Thomas Cred: Steve Parsons/PATo raise awarens of the ndn, he filmed a documentary wh Prce Harry for the Terrence Higgs Tst and produced his own programme, Gareth Thomas: HIV And Bm said he felt “vulnerable and unsure about his future” after his diagnosis but was “very much love wh” Mr Thomas and vastated he had been “ceived”.

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.

MICKEY ROURKE ON ROLE AS GAY WELSH GBY STAR

Thomas, who now plays gby league for the Csars, announced he was gay 2009 and has been discsns wh a scriptwrer. Wal gby unn ternatnal Gareth Thomas has announced that he is gay an terview Bra's Daily Mail Cardiff Blu full-back, 35, says he has been through "absolute spair" and did not want to be known simply as a "gay gby player" former Wal and Brish and Irish Lns pta is Wal' most-pped player and nth the all-time Tt try srg list.

"I don't want to be known as a gay gby player. I jt happen to be gay.

WELSH GBY STAR REVEALS HE IS GAY

Thomas, who me out as gay 2009, was told he had HIV, a vis that attacks the body’s immune system, durg a route sexual health check-up.

The shock cisn by gby unn player Gareth Thomas to announce that he is gay has triggered speculatn that other sports stars might e out. The fact that he has nfirmed his sexualy while still playg the game has been praised by gay rights mpaigners.

PRCE HARRY PRAIS GAY GBY STAR FORCED TO DISCLOSE HIV STAT

"But he said he did not want to be known as a "gay gby player" and hoped people would treat his sexualy as "irrelevant" to his reer. "It is very posive Gareth has e out while he is still an active player, " said gay rights mpaigner Peter Tatchell.

"Many of the sports people who have clared their homosexualy have tend to do so after their reers are over.

Hopefully this will ease the way for other gay and bisexual players to also e out.

GAY ACTIVISTS PRAISE GBY STAR GARETH THOMAS'S CISN TO E OUT

"Thomas is almost certaly gog to have to turn a af ear to the odd wolf-whistle, or worse, homophobic sult, " Parft wrote the Wtern Mail.

ALFIE A 'HERO' US AFTER SPEAKG ABOUT BEG GAY ON CHAT SHOWGAY WELSH GBY STAR GARETH THOMAS HAS BEEN HAILED A “HERO” THE US AFTER AN TERVIEW ON ONE OF THE UNTRY’S BIGGT TALK SHOWS.WALONLEBOOKMARKSHARENEWSBYWALONLE00:00, 6 JAN 2011UPDATED11:43, 12 JAN 2016BOOKMARKKEEP UP TO DATE WH THE LATT STORI WH OUR WALONLE NEWSLETTERMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 KEEP UP TO DATE WH THE LATT STORI WH OUR WALONLE NEWSLETTERINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

"Thomas said he cid to go public about his sexualy to "send a posive msage" to other gay people, pecially young people nsirg a reer sport.

"He said he knew om the age of 16 or 17 that he was gay but uld not accept and feared his sexualy would affect his playg reer. He told his wife, Jemma, that he was gay and felt as if his life was "fallg apart" as his four-year marriage broke down. He said he still loved his tranged wife, who he scrib as "the nict person the world"'s cisn to e out as a gay man is unual but not unprecented.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY WELSH RUGBY STAR

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class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/wal"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Wal</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/sport"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Sport</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/topic/gby"><span data-ttid="tag-text">gby</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div class="YEmI-" data-ttid="date-time-"><i class="cp_in cp_in__clock cp_in--base u46pe" aria-hidn="te"><svg width="48px" height="48px" viewBox="0 0 48 48" versn="1.1" xmlns=" xmlns:xlk=" role="img"> <g transform="translate(-304.000000, -1456.000000)"> <g transform="translate(300.000000, 1452.000000)"> <path fill="#7B8386" fill-le="evenodd" d="M27.9766667,4.66666667 C15.0966667,4.66666667 4.66666667,15.12 4.66666667,28 C4.66666667,40.88 15.0966667,51.3333333 27.9766667,51.3333333 C40.88,51.3333333 51.3333333,40.88 51.3333333,28 C51.3333333,15.12 40.88,4.66666667 27.9766667,4.66666667 Z M28,46.6666667 C17.6866667,46.6666667 9.33333333,38.3133333 9.33333333,28 C9.33333333,17.6866667 17.6866667,9.33333333 28,9.33333333 C38.3133333,9.33333333 46.6666667,17.6866667 46.6666667,28 C46.6666667,38.3133333 38.3133333,46.6666667 28,46.6666667 Z M29.1666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,30.3333333 L37.9166667,37.6833333 L39.6666667,34.8133333 L29.1666667,28.5833333 L29.1666667,16.3333333 Z" /> </g> </g></svg></i><time class="iCsJz _0Z4Oc" dateTime="2022-08-09T13:30:45Z" data-ttid="date-time">Tuday 9 Augt 2022 at 2:30pm</time></div></li></ul></div><figure class="ZN3xR"><picture class="cp_picture"><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet="><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet="><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet="><img alt="" class="cp_picture__img" src="></picture><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Mr Thomas, who revealed his HIV stat publicly 2019, is unrstood to strongly ny the claims.<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure></hear><div class="_074l4 cp_grid__em" data-ttid="article-body"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Former Wal pta and ternatnal gby star turned LGBT mpaigner Gareth Thomas has been acced of “ceptively” transmtg HIV to an ex-partner.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The 48-year-old is beg sued the High Court by his former boyiend Ian Bm for allegedly hidg his HIV stat and “failg to take reasonable re” not to pass the fectn on.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas reportedly tends to strongly ntt the claim.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">His reprentativ were ntacted for a ment.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">It's reported if Mr Bm ws urt, he uld claim damag of £150,000 or more.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The pair were a relatnship between 2013-2016.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Thomas me out as gay 2009 and revealed his HIV stat publicly 2019.<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm claims he was HIV negative when they first beme an em, urt papers said.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He said he noticed the sportsman was takg pills om bottl which had the labels ripped off them but was told they were multivams.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He alleg he found out Mr Thomas, also known as Alfie, had HIV after fdg a tablet marked GSK1.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“On googlg the GSK1 pill, the claimant disvered that the fendant was takg anti-viral HIV meditn,” documents said.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm said he “immediately” went to get a rapid HIV tt and, after fdg out the same day he was posive, felt “vastated” and went to “shock”.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He claims he rang Mr Thomas, “who was very repentant and apologetic on the telephone”, for an explanatn.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“By transmtg HIV to the claimant, the fendant has ed him ser physil and psychologil jury,” papers said.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Gareth Thomas is a former sports star and TV personaly who is an LGBT+ advote and HIV mpaigner<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas is said to have “plead” wh Mr Bm to keep his HIV stat a secret and, after he agreed, the relatnship ntued.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas then ed “ercive and ntrollg behavur” to prevent his HIV stat beg public knowledge, Mr Bm claims.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“That rmatn, had bee publicly known, would have been extremely damagg to the fendant’s public reputatn as a person who had spoken out about his homosexualy and LGBTQ issu,” urt documents said.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“Sce that time, the fendant has portrayed himself as a spokperson for HIV whout ever disclosg that he ceptively transmted HIV to the claimant 2014.”</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Thomas ma history 2009 by beg the world’s first openly gay gby player.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">His reer clus 100 ps for Wal, reprentg the untry four Rugby World Cups, and beg the Brish and Irish Lns pta.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He publicly revealed he was livg wh HIV 2019 and ss on the HIV Commissn, which aims to end new s of the disease by 2030.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">The De of Ssex attends a Terrence Higgs Tst event wh former Wal gby pta Gareth Thomas<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->Steve Parsons/PA</span></figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">To raise awarens of the ndn, he filmed a documentary wh Prce Harry for the Terrence Higgs Tst and produced his own programme, Gareth Thomas: HIV And Me.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm said he felt “vulnerable and unsure about his future” after his diagnosis but was “very much love wh” Mr Thomas and vastated he had been “ceived”.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">“The fendant had knowgly lied to the claimant about his HIV stat and had erced the claimant to havg unprotected sexual terurse when he knew that by dog so he was puttg the claimant at risk of ntractg HIV,” the papers alleged.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm also acc Mr Thomas of beg unfahful durg their relatnship, allegg that 2015 he found out he was “seekg unknown men for unprotected sex at a well-known r park near to Junctn 18 of the M4 motorway”.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Near the end of the relatnship, January 2016, will be claimed Mr Bm wrote a note sayg: “I lied – I already had HIV. Give this to your solicor.”</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Mr Bm’s legal team claim is an example of their client’s “vulnerabily” by that stage and he do not remember wrg .</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">They allege Mr Thomas was threateng to leave Mr Bm, claim an junctn agast him or persua him to sign a pre-nuptial agreement preventg him om disclosg his HIV stat, and Mr Bm “accepts that he would have done anythg to try to save the relatnship”.</p><div class="qNUzV Z4snd" data-ttid="article-lk"><div class="-VoCt"><a class="WPcEk" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/2019-09-14/gby-legend-gareth-thomas-reveals-hiv-posive-stat">Rugby legend Gareth Thomas tak on Ironman challenge after revealg HIV stat</a><i class="cp_in cp_in__chevron cp_in--base uQW1m" aria-hidn="te"><svg xmlns=" width="12" height="20" viewBox="0 0 12 20" fill="none" role="img"> <path fill-le="evenodd" clip-le="evenodd" d="M0.256714 0.331044C0.626173 -0.0794661 1.25846 -0.112744 1.66897 0.256714L11.669 9.25671C11.8797 9.44635 12 9.71651 12 10C12 10.2835 11.8797 10.5537 11.669 10.7433L1.66897 19.7433C1.25846 20.1127 0.626173 20.0795 0.256714 19.669C-0.112744 19.2584 -0.0794661 18.6262 0.331044 18.2567L9.50515 10L0.331044 1.7433C-0.0794661 1.37384 -0.112744 0.741553 0.256714 0.331044Z" fill="#FFF"/> </svg></i></div></div><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX"></p></div><footer data-ttid="article-footer"><div class="cQTzz C04KI" data-ttid="tag-list"><ul class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/wal"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Wal</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/sport"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Sport</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/topic/gby"><span 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