10 Inspirg Gay Rugby Players and Personali

Contents:

• THE ATRALIAN ATHLET CHAMPNG LGBTIQ+ PRI SPORTFOURTEEN ATHLET ACROSS 10 SPORTS ARE JOG TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM, LNCHED ON TUDAY.THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER. SOURCE: AAPATRALIAN ARTISTIC GYMNAST HEATH THORPE SAYS GROWG TO HIS INTY MEANT CREATG A PATHWAY THAT WASN’T “ALREADY THERE”. THORPE, 21, HAS BEEN VOLVED GYMNASTICS FOR 14 YEARS, REPRENTG ATRALIA AT WORLD CUPS AND WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS. HE SAYS HE IS ONE OF FEW OPENLY GAY GYMNASTS, BOTH ATRALIA AND TERNATNALLY.COMG TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY MEANT, AT FIRST, FACG A STEREOTYPE WH THE SPORT. “IT HAS BEEN AN TERTG PATHWAY … I KNOW WHEN I WAS GROWG UP THAT I WAS MET WH A LOT OF MENTS ABOUT GYMNASTICS BEG FOR GIRLS, OR BEG FOR GAY PEOPLE,” THORPE TOLD SBS NEWS. “FOR ME TO REALISE MY INTY WAS A B OF STGGLE, BEE I HAD ALMOST NOT WANTED TO PERPETUATE A STEREOTYPE THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD MY WHOLE LIFE. SO THAT WAS AN TERNAL STGGLE SELF.“AND EVEN SO NOW, I AM STILL ONE OF THE ONLY OPENLY GAY GYMANASTS ON AN TERNATNAL LEVEL.”READ MOREHOW LGBTQI+ AFL FANS HAVE BAND TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORK OF PRI GROUPSWH THE SPORTG WORLD, HE SAID HAS BEEN PLITED "CREATG A PATHWAY THAT ISN'T ALREADY THERE". “IT HAS BEEN QUE TERTG EXPLORG THAT AND UNRSTANDG THAT - PECIALLY AT A YOUNG AGE,” HE SAID."I ME OUT TO THE MEDIA WHEN I WAS 18 WHOUT EVEN NECSARILY REALISG THE ENORMY OF . I THK ’S JT THAT A LOT OF FIRSTS ARE HARD TO NAVIGATE.”HEATH THORPE PICTURED ANTWERP, BELGIUM NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDTHORPE IS NOW AMONG 14 ATHLET G TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM. HE SS ALONGSI GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE, WHO IS ALSO OPENLY GAY. LNCHED ON TUDAY, NSULTATN WH NATNAL NOT-FOR-PROF SPORTG CLN PROGRAM PRI SPORT AND PROUD 2 PLAY, THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVI SAFE AND CLIVE SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL ATHLET. MATTI CLEMENTS, AIS’ ACTG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SAID THE PROGRAM WILL EQUIP AMBASSADORS WH THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO SPEAK WH LOL SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS ON LGBTIQ+ AWARENS, ACTIVE ALLYSHIP AND CLIVY. “THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT RAISG AWARENS AROUND THE LGBTIQ+ POPULATN, AND SPORT BEG A GREAT VEHICLE TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS WHICH, TO BE ANK, WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE AT ALL TIM OVER THE LAST UPLE OF YEARS,” MS CLEMENTS SAID. “I THK, HISTORILLY, SOME OF THE NVERSATNS HAVEN'T BEEN HAD POTENTIALLY BEE PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN OTHERS LIKE THEM. AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE N RELATE TO OTHERS, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A NVERSATN ABOUT WHO THEY ARE. “SO, A PROGRAM SUCH AS THRIVE PRI CREAT THAT NVERSATN.”ROWIE WEBSTER, PICTURED DURG THE 2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAM TOKYO, IS ALSO A PROGRAM AMBASSADOR. SOURCE: SPORTSFILE VIA GETTY IMAGPRI SPORT INX -FOUNR ANDREW PURCHAS SAID IS EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM AND THE AIS’ LEARSHIP LEVERAGG HIGH-PERFORMANCE ATHLET TO ENGAGE WH SPORTG MUNI. “IT IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL TO HAVE ELE ATHLET AND ACH EMPOWERED  TO TALK TO THEIR PEERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CLN,” HE SAID. “THE THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM WILL ENURAGE RPECTFUL, TED AND CLIVE MUNITN BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS AND ATRALIAN SPORTG MUNI; BUILDG TST, FOSTERG CHANGE TO PROVI A SAFE AND CLIVE PLACE FOR ATHLET TO THRIVE SPORT.”READ MOREWHY THIS ATRALIAN WANTS TO LNCH THE WORLD GAY BOXG CHAMPNSHIPSTHE PROGRAM AMBASSADORS PRISE LGBTIQ+ ATHLET AND ALLI OM ACROSS 10 SPORTS, CLUDG TWO-TIME OLYMPIC DIVER MATTHEW MCHAM, FORMER RUGBY SEVENS PTA SHARNI WILLIAMS AND NON-BARY SHOT-PUTTER MARIA STRONG, WHO MA THEIR PARALYMBIC BATE TOKYO LAST YEAR. ALSO AMONG THEM IS THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER, WHO SAYS HER VOLVEMENT IS ALL ABOUT STARTG NVERSATNS A SAFE SPACE. “I KNEW FOR A LONG TIME THAT I WAS GAY, AND I CERTALY DIDN’T FEEL ALL THAT FORTABLE G OUT - JT THE SPORTG WORLD,” SHE TOLD SBS NEWS. “THERE WEREN’T MANY ROLE MOLS THAT I KNEW OF THAT WERE LIKE ME.”ROWIE WEBSTER IS PICTURED AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ATRALIAN WOMENS WATER POLO TEAM FOR THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS. SOURCE: AAPWH A SUPPORT WORK AROUND HER, WEBSTER SAYS SHE WAS ABLE TO REALISE HER THENTIC SELF AND IS NOW THRIVG. BUT SHE ACKNOWLEDG MANY OTHERS HAVEN’T HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. “I THK I'VE BEEN A PRIVILEGED POSN WHERE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, AND I HAVEN'T HAD DISCRIMATN TOWARDS ME. BUT I CERTALY KNOW OF OTHER ATHLET AND PEOPLE THE GREATER MUNY WHO HAVE,” SHE SAID. “SO I THK THAT'S WHAT OUR ROLE IS NOW; TO TRY TO OVERE THOSE BARRIERS AND THOSE CHALLENG, AND MAKE MORE OF AN ACCEPTED THG [NVERSATN] TO HAVE.“WE WANT TO START HEALTHY NVERSATNS, HAVE A REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS, AND ALSO TO TE SPORTG ANISATNS TO BETTER SUPPORT THEIR ATHLET. AND ALSO, I THK THAT WILL HAVE A REAL RIPPLE EFFECT TO THE MUNY."READ MORE'FOOTBALL IS FOR EVERYBODY': WORLD REACTS TO FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO G OUT AS GAYTHORPE AGRE THAT TN IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS PROGRS AND EQUALY FOR QUEER ATHLET. “I THK THAT OFTEN, A LOT OF IGNORANCE OR MISRMATN JT OM MISUNRSTANDG. SO, PEOPLE DON’T FEEL FORTABLE NECSARILY SUPPORTG OR ENGAGG WH A SPACE THEY DON’T UNRSTAND,” HE SAID. “SO ’S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CCIAL TO TE OM A YOUNG AGE, AND TO TE OM THE TOP AS WELL.” ULTIMATELY, HE HOP TO ENURAGE YOUNG QUEER ATHLET TO “NOT WALK AWAY” OM THEIR SPORT. "SPORT IS A SPACE FOR EVERYONE, AND TO ME, 'S A MEANS FOR MOVEMENT AND HEALTH AND MUNY, AND NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE NIED THAT," HE SAID.“I JT HOPE THAT BY PUTTG THIS PROGRAM OUT THERE, THAT YOUNG QUEER KIDS N E TO THE SPORT, AND ’S A SPACE FOR THEM [WHERE] THEY FEEL WELE AND THEY N PLAY THE SPORT THAT THEY LOVE. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.” LGBTIQ+ ATRALIANS SEEKG SUPPORT N NTACT QLIFE ON 1800 184 527 OR VIS .  ALSO HAS A LIST OF SUPPORT SERVIC.SHARE6 M READPUBLISHED 1 FEBARY 2022 6:40AMUPDATED 1 FEBARY 2022 7:23AMBY EMMA BRANTISANOSOURCE: SBS NEWSSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU
• ANDY BRENNAN IS ATRALIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE SOCCER PLAYER
• JOSH CAVALLO BE ONE OF THE FEW PROFSNAL MEN'S FOOTBALLERS TO E OUT AS GAY
• MATT HALL PAVED THE WAY AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ASIE L PLAYER
• ‘SAD’ TTH AS ATRALIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALL JOSH CAVALLO SPOKE ON THE PROJECT
• FROM TROYE SIVAN TO PADAM PADAM: ATRALIA IS S GAY ERA AND THE WORLD SHOULD THANK
• WHY IS AFL THE ONLY PRO SPORT TO NEVER HAVE AN OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER?
• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• GAY ATHLET ATRALIA GET SUPPORT OM PRO SPORTS LEAGU

THE ATRALIAN ATHLET CHAMPNG LGBTIQ+ PRI SPORTFOURTEEN ATHLET ACROSS 10 SPORTS ARE JOG TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM, LNCHED ON TUDAY.THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER. SOURCE: AAPATRALIAN ARTISTIC GYMNAST HEATH THORPE SAYS GROWG TO HIS INTY MEANT CREATG A PATHWAY THAT WASN’T “ALREADY THERE”. THORPE, 21, HAS BEEN VOLVED GYMNASTICS FOR 14 YEARS, REPRENTG ATRALIA AT WORLD CUPS AND WORLD CHAMPNSHIPS. HE SAYS HE IS ONE OF FEW OPENLY GAY GYMNASTS, BOTH ATRALIA AND TERNATNALLY.COMG TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY MEANT, AT FIRST, FACG A STEREOTYPE WH THE SPORT. “IT HAS BEEN AN TERTG PATHWAY … I KNOW WHEN I WAS GROWG UP THAT I WAS MET WH A LOT OF MENTS ABOUT GYMNASTICS BEG FOR GIRLS, OR BEG FOR GAY PEOPLE,” THORPE TOLD SBS NEWS. “FOR ME TO REALISE MY INTY WAS A B OF STGGLE, BEE I HAD ALMOST NOT WANTED TO PERPETUATE A STEREOTYPE THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD MY WHOLE LIFE. SO THAT WAS AN TERNAL STGGLE SELF.“AND EVEN SO NOW, I AM STILL ONE OF THE ONLY OPENLY GAY GYMANASTS ON AN TERNATNAL LEVEL.”READ MOREHOW LGBTQI+ AFL FANS HAVE BAND TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORK OF PRI GROUPSWH THE SPORTG WORLD, HE SAID HAS BEEN PLITED "CREATG A PATHWAY THAT ISN'T ALREADY THERE". “IT HAS BEEN QUE TERTG EXPLORG THAT AND UNRSTANDG THAT - PECIALLY AT A YOUNG AGE,” HE SAID."I ME OUT TO THE MEDIA WHEN I WAS 18 WHOUT EVEN NECSARILY REALISG THE ENORMY OF . I THK ’S JT THAT A LOT OF FIRSTS ARE HARD TO NAVIGATE.”HEATH THORPE PICTURED ANTWERP, BELGIUM NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDTHORPE IS NOW AMONG 14 ATHLET G TOGETHER AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE ATRALIAN INSTUTE OF SPORT’S (AIS) GURAL THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM. HE SS ALONGSI GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE, WHO IS ALSO OPENLY GAY. LNCHED ON TUDAY, NSULTATN WH NATNAL NOT-FOR-PROF SPORTG CLN PROGRAM PRI SPORT AND PROUD 2 PLAY, THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVI SAFE AND CLIVE SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL ATHLET. MATTI CLEMENTS, AIS’ ACTG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SAID THE PROGRAM WILL EQUIP AMBASSADORS WH THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO SPEAK WH LOL SPORTG ENVIRONMENTS ON LGBTIQ+ AWARENS, ACTIVE ALLYSHIP AND CLIVY. “THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT RAISG AWARENS AROUND THE LGBTIQ+ POPULATN, AND SPORT BEG A GREAT VEHICLE TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS WHICH, TO BE ANK, WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE AT ALL TIM OVER THE LAST UPLE OF YEARS,” MS CLEMENTS SAID. “I THK, HISTORILLY, SOME OF THE NVERSATNS HAVEN'T BEEN HAD POTENTIALLY BEE PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN OTHERS LIKE THEM. AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE N RELATE TO OTHERS, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A NVERSATN ABOUT WHO THEY ARE. “SO, A PROGRAM SUCH AS THRIVE PRI CREAT THAT NVERSATN.”ROWIE WEBSTER, PICTURED DURG THE 2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAM TOKYO, IS ALSO A PROGRAM AMBASSADOR. SOURCE: SPORTSFILE VIA GETTY IMAGPRI SPORT INX -FOUNR ANDREW PURCHAS SAID IS EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM AND THE AIS’ LEARSHIP LEVERAGG HIGH-PERFORMANCE ATHLET TO ENGAGE WH SPORTG MUNI. “IT IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL TO HAVE ELE ATHLET AND ACH EMPOWERED  TO TALK TO THEIR PEERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CLN,” HE SAID. “THE THRIVE WH PRI PROGRAM WILL ENURAGE RPECTFUL, TED AND CLIVE MUNITN BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS AND ATRALIAN SPORTG MUNI; BUILDG TST, FOSTERG CHANGE TO PROVI A SAFE AND CLIVE PLACE FOR ATHLET TO THRIVE SPORT.”READ MOREWHY THIS ATRALIAN WANTS TO LNCH THE WORLD GAY BOXG CHAMPNSHIPSTHE PROGRAM AMBASSADORS PRISE LGBTIQ+ ATHLET AND ALLI OM ACROSS 10 SPORTS, CLUDG TWO-TIME OLYMPIC DIVER MATTHEW MCHAM, FORMER RUGBY SEVENS PTA SHARNI WILLIAMS AND NON-BARY SHOT-PUTTER MARIA STRONG, WHO MA THEIR PARALYMBIC BATE TOKYO LAST YEAR. ALSO AMONG THEM IS THREE-TIME OLYMPIC WATER POLO PLAYER ROWIE WEBSTER, WHO SAYS HER VOLVEMENT IS ALL ABOUT STARTG NVERSATNS A SAFE SPACE. “I KNEW FOR A LONG TIME THAT I WAS GAY, AND I CERTALY DIDN’T FEEL ALL THAT FORTABLE G OUT - JT THE SPORTG WORLD,” SHE TOLD SBS NEWS. “THERE WEREN’T MANY ROLE MOLS THAT I KNEW OF THAT WERE LIKE ME.”ROWIE WEBSTER IS PICTURED AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ATRALIAN WOMENS WATER POLO TEAM FOR THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS. SOURCE: AAPWH A SUPPORT WORK AROUND HER, WEBSTER SAYS SHE WAS ABLE TO REALISE HER THENTIC SELF AND IS NOW THRIVG. BUT SHE ACKNOWLEDG MANY OTHERS HAVEN’T HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. “I THK I'VE BEEN A PRIVILEGED POSN WHERE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, AND I HAVEN'T HAD DISCRIMATN TOWARDS ME. BUT I CERTALY KNOW OF OTHER ATHLET AND PEOPLE THE GREATER MUNY WHO HAVE,” SHE SAID. “SO I THK THAT'S WHAT OUR ROLE IS NOW; TO TRY TO OVERE THOSE BARRIERS AND THOSE CHALLENG, AND MAKE MORE OF AN ACCEPTED THG [NVERSATN] TO HAVE.“WE WANT TO START HEALTHY NVERSATNS, HAVE A REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THOSE NVERSATNS, AND ALSO TO TE SPORTG ANISATNS TO BETTER SUPPORT THEIR ATHLET. AND ALSO, I THK THAT WILL HAVE A REAL RIPPLE EFFECT TO THE MUNY."READ MORE'FOOTBALL IS FOR EVERYBODY': WORLD REACTS TO FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO G OUT AS GAYTHORPE AGRE THAT TN IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS PROGRS AND EQUALY FOR QUEER ATHLET. “I THK THAT OFTEN, A LOT OF IGNORANCE OR MISRMATN JT OM MISUNRSTANDG. SO, PEOPLE DON’T FEEL FORTABLE NECSARILY SUPPORTG OR ENGAGG WH A SPACE THEY DON’T UNRSTAND,” HE SAID. “SO ’S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CCIAL TO TE OM A YOUNG AGE, AND TO TE OM THE TOP AS WELL.” ULTIMATELY, HE HOP TO ENURAGE YOUNG QUEER ATHLET TO “NOT WALK AWAY” OM THEIR SPORT. "SPORT IS A SPACE FOR EVERYONE, AND TO ME, 'S A MEANS FOR MOVEMENT AND HEALTH AND MUNY, AND NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE NIED THAT," HE SAID.“I JT HOPE THAT BY PUTTG THIS PROGRAM OUT THERE, THAT YOUNG QUEER KIDS N E TO THE SPORT, AND ’S A SPACE FOR THEM [WHERE] THEY FEEL WELE AND THEY N PLAY THE SPORT THAT THEY LOVE. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.” LGBTIQ+ ATRALIANS SEEKG SUPPORT N NTACT QLIFE ON 1800 184 527 OR VIS .  ALSO HAS A LIST OF SUPPORT SERVIC.SHARE6 M READPUBLISHED 1 FEBARY 2022 6:40AMUPDATED 1 FEBARY 2022 7:23AMBY EMMA BRANTISANOSOURCE: SBS NEWSSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU

“It has been an tertg pathway … I know when I was growg up that I was met wh a lot of ments about gymnastics beg for girls, or beg for gay people, ” Thorpe told SBS News. Atralian A-League soccer star Josh Cavallo me out as gay an October vio posted to his social media, beg hailed as the first current male top-flight profsnal soccer player to publicly do so.

"He ntued: "Growg up I always felt the need to hi myself, you know, bee I was ashamed, and ashamed I'll never be able to do what I love and be gay. The 28-year-old Natnal Football League player and Rairs fensive leman ma history when he me out as gay on Instagram durg Pri Month, beg the first veteran NFL player to e out as gay while signed to a regular-season ntract.

The Bachelor star and former football player (who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted ee agent and was on the practice squad of the Oakland Rairs and the Philalphia Eagl) me out as gay April, sayg he had fally e to terms wh his sexualy and the "next step all of this was sort of lettg people know.

ANDY BRENNAN IS ATRALIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE SOCCER PLAYER

Corey Walsh, the 27-year-old pro BMX rir and Vans spokperson, said he isn't normally the type of person to "let people " on his personal life, but felt was important to e out as gay a March Instagram post bee "there are a lot of people still stgglg wh the same suatns" and he "jt wanted to let people know that they are not alone. Champn long track speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy never hid beg gay om his fay, iends, and fellow athlet, but he also wasn't one to rate his locker wh rabow Pri flags eher. While recent data om the US shows that the acceptance of homosexualy society often remas divid by untry, regn and enomic velopment, overall there has been creasg acceptance most untri.

Rearch the UK, for example, nsistently shows high levels of acceptance of homosexualy - wh only 16% of those surveyed 2018 believg same-sex relatnships were eher “always” or “mostly” wrong. Heath Thorpe, a gay athlete who is one of the bt gymnasts Atralia, has been left off of the untry’s team head to the World Gymnastics Champnships. Male profsnal athlet e out as the first openly gay players currently participatg their rpective sports, cludg NHL hockey player Le Prokop and NFL fensive end Carl Nassib.

JOSH CAVALLO BE ONE OF THE FEW PROFSNAL MEN'S FOOTBALLERS TO E OUT AS GAY

In the landmark article he talked about some of the landmark moments his life, cludg his heterosexual marriage before he me out as a gay man, his r accint where he had to rever om juri and for the first time felt mortal his life. At that time would’ve been near impossible for him to be out as a gay man, nsirg he’d already been ostracised by some his social circle due to his HIV stat. Hall said the 2nd openly gay Asie Rul player Jason Ball has “erased my own” legacy by “him ntug to claim he was the first to e out spe beg a later 2012.

MATT HALL PAVED THE WAY AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ASIE L PLAYER

Alai Uned football Josh Cavallo has bee the first Atralian footballer to e out as gay while actively playg the 21-year-old took to social media on Wednday to “publicly announce I am gay”, jog a select group of high-level footballers across the world who have e out, almost all after their playg his brave announcement has exposed the dark secret of men’s football and sport general when to players beg open about who they really are.

”Other active and openly gay mal playg profsnal football elsewhere the world clu Coll Mart, who plays for San Diego Loyal the send tier of football the USA, as well as Phuti Lekoloane, who plays South Ai’s third tier. Asie women’s pta Kerr tweeted: “Good for you @JoshuaCavallo” gay Atralian Senator Penny Wong praised Cavallo, sayg: “Any young person who is stgglg wh their inty, or feelg exclud or judged, n look today to Josh Cavallo. Jt sayg — Mch Feltscheer (@mchfel) July 13, 2023The cleart harbger of this era is the double whammy of gay pop that Atralia has produced recent months.

It is, perhaps, the bt fence of twk Rh is merely a chaser to that other tentpole of gay Atraliana: Kylie Mogue, whose sgle Padam Padam skyrocketed to the top 10 of the UK charts last month and has (mostly) stayed there sce. How lucky we are to be livg through the entire spectm of queer all, evably, serv as a precursor to Sydney WorldPri – that 17-day party earlier this year rponsible for the stctn of every gay person’s sleepg habs.

‘SAD’ TTH AS ATRALIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALL JOSH CAVALLO SPOKE ON THE PROJECT

30pmFew people realise the men’s AFL is the only major profsnal male sport the world to never have had an openly gay or bisexual player, even after is why the cisn by the NFL’s Carl Nassib to e out as gay this week while still playg Amerin football ph Atralian football further off the crowd field of cln. Nassib may be the first active NFL player to e out, but he’s actually the 16th gay NFL player sce 1975 – that’s close to the same number of players on an AFL Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib me out this APThe total visibily of gay or bisexual AFL players be even more ncerng when you nsir the multiple gay and bisexual players basketball, ice hockey, baseball, gby unn, gby league, cricket, soccer, and smaller sports like curlg, hurlg and lacrosse. It also ters many girls, both straight and gay, om playg ntact sports like AFL or rearch has found between 15-20 per cent of female AFL players are not heterosexual.

Visibily is clearly important, particularly to children, but the visibily of male AFL players is a symptom of ser a problem that has long been ignored by the AFL and other erng is extensive evince om Atralia and overseas that gay and bisexual children, as well as heterosexual youth, are beg harmed by systemic homophobic behavurs muny and school sport settgs. That’s not what we boys and girls who me out to others sport were signifintly more likely to report homophobic victimisatn than those who remaed the closet. This rearch found most activy to addrs this problem is beg driven by small chari, such as Pri Cup or Proud2Play, or muny sport clubs, while the mments ma by the lears of the AFL and the other sports have not been players om the Yarra Glen Football Club take part rearch nducted to better unrstand the drivers and harm ed by homophobic language sport.

FROM TROYE SIVAN TO PADAM PADAM: ATRALIA IS S GAY ERA AND THE WORLD SHOULD THANK

The club has been at the foreont of tacklg Monash UniversyOne of those papers, published the world’s top sport dtry journal, said erng bodi e rabow-themed social media posts and pri gam to create a false illn (ln) they are takg actn on homophobia, when realy, almost nothg is beg done beyond “lip service or happy talk. Olympic legend Ian Thorpe mpaigned Febary 2020 on the Relig Discrimatn Alex EllghsenThere is no mentn of LGBT people nor of any fundg to addrs homophobia sport. The omissn of LGBT people needs to be urgently fixed and an vtigatn is need to terme why homophobia sport is nsistently ernments and sport lears start prrisg protectg children om harmful homophobic behavurs sport, we’ll be talkg about the lack of openly gay male athlet the AFL and other sports for many years to Denison is a behavural science rearcher at Monash Universy’s School of Social Scienc who vtigat solutns to homophobia sport.

In June 2021, NFL fensive end Carl Nassib me out as gay a vio posted to his Instagram, addg he donated $100, 000 to The Trevor Project, an anizatn that foc on suici preventn LGBTQ youth after he stggled wh his sexualy for 15 years. The athlete quickly ma a name for herself a seri of TV terviews, where she voiced her support of women's rights and LGBTQ rights as an openly gay woman. "I thk female athlet, general, are at the foreont of every prott general bee we're gay, we're women, we're women of lor, we're sort of everythg all at one time, " Rapoe told NBC news 2019.

WHY IS AFL THE ONLY PRO SPORT TO NEVER HAVE AN OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER?

" He scribed hidg his sexualy while playg for the Utah Jazz, but said some teammat who spected he was gay were welg about a 2007 terview on "Outsi the L, " Amaechi, who played five seasons the NBA, said he thought there were other gay players the league, but said 's "terrifyg" for some to e out. Greg Louganis won four gold medals and one silver medal at three Olympic Gam om 1976 to 1988 as a diver, but wasn't until 1994 that he me out as gay. ""If I n show that I'm out and I'm fe, then hopefully the younger generatn will feel the same way, " Grer said the same year, Grer recieved a multi-ln dollar al om Nike, and beme the first openly gay basketball player endorsed by the brand, acrdg to The married her wife, Cherelle, 2019.

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. 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. 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.

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

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. 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. To improve LGBTQ reprentatn profsnal sports, Schweighofer and Denison said, ach and lears youth sports should set a precent that homophobic language and discrimatn are unacceptable.

Denison’s rearch fds that most LGBTQ athlet leave their sports as young people, a parture driven by a culture of homophobic language and stereotyp.

GAY ATHLET ATRALIA GET SUPPORT OM PRO SPORTS LEAGU

And Rapoe 2018 said that, as a kid, she “would have loved to have more rmatn” about what meant to be gay and why g homophobic slurs was wrong. Homophobic slurs ntue to be prevalent sports – a 2020 study om Out on the Fields, which studi LGBTQ cln sports, found that more than 80% of gay participants had heard them ed while playg. When ach and teammat e gay slurs equently, sends the msage that the language is harmls and OK to e – and solidifi the belief that all members of the team are heterosexual, Denison said.