The gay gby players are dismantlg stereotyp wh their powerful new mpaign. - Upworthy

Contents:

• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• JOZI CATS: AI’S FIRST GAY GBY TEAM TACKL HOMOPHOBIA
• LIST OF SOUTH AIN GAY ACTORS – PICTUR
• LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD
• HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

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.

JOZI CATS: AI’S FIRST GAY GBY TEAM TACKL HOMOPHOBIA

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.

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.

LIST OF SOUTH AIN GAY ACTORS – PICTUR

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.

LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD

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. Gay gby team lnched South Ai. In the macho world of sports, ’s not easy to be openly gay – and sults like the make difficult to e out the locker room.

HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS

But one fledglg gby team is g such stereotyp to not only create awarens of homophobia, but to promote self as a safe haven for those who don’t feel fortable wh the game’s culture. Formed this year, Johannburg-based Jozi Cats is Ai’s first gay gby team – and s provotive marketg mpaign has had a greater impact than s members ever dreamed possible. Ai's first gay gby club shatters stereotyp.

Homosexualy is outlawed many Ain untri, but that is not the se South Ai. However, an Amnty Internatnal report poted to at least seven murrs what appeared to be homophobic attacks between June and November 2012.