Gay activists praise rugby star Gareth Thomas's decision to come out
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Gareth Thomas
Rugby legend Gareth Thomas came out in December
The shock decision by rugby union player Gareth Thomas to announce that he is gay has triggered speculation that other sports stars might come out. Thomas is Wales's most-capped player and a former British and Irish Lions captain. The fact that he has confirmed his sexuality while still playing the game has been praised by gay rights campaigners.
Yesterday the 6ft 3in, 16-stone rugby star said he hoped he could make a difference to others struggling with their sexuality. "I just want to thank everyone for the amazing response I have received, on behalf of me, my family and friends," Thomas said. "I hope that by saying this I can make a big difference to others in my situation."
But he said he did not want to be known as a "gay rugby player" and hoped people would treat his sexuality as "irrelevant" to his career. "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby," he said. "I'd love for it, in 10 years' time, not to even be an issue in sport, and for people to say: 'So what?'"
Thomas, who came on as a substitute for his team Cardiff Blues as they lost 23-7 to Toulouse in the Heineken Cup quarter-final yesterday, said the secret of his sexuality was like a "ticking bomb" which he had tried to suppress. "I just couldn't ignore it any more," he told the Daily Mail.
"It is very positive Gareth has come out while he is still an active player," said gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. "Many of the sports people who have declared their homosexuality have tended to do so after their careers are over.
"Rugby is a very macho sport and has traditionally had a very robust he-man, heterosexual image so it is really great that he has had the guts to be honest with himself and his fans. Hopefully this will ease the way for other gay and bisexual players to also come out."
There was overwhelming support for Thomas on internet fan sites and in online chatrooms. Many said they were not surprised. In the Welsh rugby community, Thomas's sexuality has been the subject of gossip for more than a decade.
Delme Parfitt, who co-wrote Thomas's autobiography, predicted the player would endure catcalls at matches. "Thomas is almost certainly going to have to turn a deaf ear to the odd wolf-whistle, or worse, homophobic insult," Parfitt wrote in the Western Mail. "But the truth is, those barbs were already coming his way long before he decided to go public."
Yesterday Thomas received the full backing of both the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and Cardiff.
"He is most probably one of the most popular players among his peers," said Roger Lewis, WRU group chief executive. "While Gareth's private life is entirely irrelevant to his career as an international sportsman it would be remiss of the WRU not to remind him of the high esteem in which he is held in the game in Wales at a time when he has decided to bring such personal reflections to public notice."
Robert Norster, Cardiff Blues chief executive, said: "Gareth Thomas is a credit to Cardiff Blues who has truly brought honour to the jersey as a formidable player and a strong leader. His private life is his own concern and we will continue to acknowledge him for the qualities he brings to the squad as a player and an individual who exemplifies the values of commitment, determination and fair play we expect from our team."
Thomas said he decided to go public about his sexuality to "send a positive message" to other gay people, especially young people considering a career in sport. "It has been really tough for me, hiding who I really am, and I don't want it to be like that for the next young person who wants to play rugby, or some frightened young kid," he said.
A supporter of the children's charity NSPCC, Thomas added: "I don't know if my life is going to be easier because I'm out, but if it helps someone else, if it makes one young lad pick up the phone to Childline, then it will have been worth it."
He said he knew from the age of 16 or 17 that he was gay but could not accept it and feared his sexuality would affect his playing career. He made up stories about girls to fit in with his male friends and felt he was sometimes overly aggressive as he played the straight man.
Thomas, who said he was never attracted to a team-mate, said rugby was his "saviour" as playing allowed him to escape from his personal confusion.
But he realised in summer 2006 that he could no longer live a lie. He told his wife, Jemma, that he was gay and felt as if his life was "falling apart" as his four-year marriage broke down. He recalled how he broke down in tears in the changing rooms of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, after playing for Wales in November 2006 and confided his secret to coach Scott Johnson. Thomas said: "After keeping it secret for so long, I felt a huge rush of relief. Scott said: 'Right, I've got to speak now to three or four players in the Welsh team because you need the boys to surround you and support you. You can't cope with this on your own,' and he was right.
"He told two of my team-mates, Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams, and as I sat in the bar waiting for them, I was absolutely terrified, wondering what they were going to say. But they came in, patted me on the back and said: 'We don't care. Why didn't you tell us before?'"
He admitted cheating on Jemma with male partners and said he considered suicide as he felt so "horrible and guilty". He said he still loved his estranged wife, who he describes as "the nicest person in the world".
Thomas's decision to come out as a gay man is unusual but not unprecedented. Earlier this year Irish hurling star Dónal Óg Cusack, 32, announced he was gay. Welsh rugby Referee Nigel Owens came out in 2007. The same year, after his retirement from the US NBA basketball league, John Amaechi confirmed that he was gay in his memoir, Man In The Middle.
However, homosexuality is still considered taboo in many sports. Tatchell drew a comparison between rugby and football. "It is interesting that a couple of rugby and ex-rugby players have come out in recent years but still not a single professional football player," Tatchell said. "However, given there are 500 professional football players, statistically about 50 of them are probably gay or bisexual yet none have felt able to be open about their sexuality. Quite a few fear negative reactions from team-mates and fans and others are anxious they might lose sponsorship. Others feel their clubs would not be supportive."
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Gay rugby player hosts coming-out party
It’s just a few months since Welsh rugger Gareth Thomas announced he was gay, shortly on the heels of Irish hurler Donal Og Cusack. The decision was a tough one. Thomas’ marriage had already broken down. In the macho world of rugby, homosexuality is taboo, and he was the first-ever rugby player in Britain to publicly come out.
But on Thursday, Thomas, who captained the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005 held a glamorous party at a London club, Movida – a venue whose walls are decorated bright pink.
"Everybody here tonight is celebrating that the world is changing," Thomas said, according to the Independent. "We are here to send the message that it's OK to be a sportsman and it is also OK to be gay."
In a show of solidarity, Thomas’ rugby teammates and supporters joined him at the party. Stars like Will Young and Graham Norton were also present.
British gay activist Peter Tatchell praised Thomas and said he hoped other sportsmen would follow his example. "If more top-class professional sportspeople came out as Gareth has done they would win huge amounts of public respect for their honesty and courage," he said.
Tatchell continued, "It would boost their public standing and provide a very powerful and positive role model for young lesbian, gay and bisexual people who are coming to terms with their sexuality for the first time."
Coming out has certainly not done Thomas any harm. He’s had an overwhelmingly positive reaction, and the public response has encouraged him to start campaigning for gay rights.
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Castleford furious at fine for fans' homophobic abuse of Gareth Thomas
• Tigers fined £40,000 for failing to control supporters
• Club 'refutes' reasoning behind tribunal verdict
Castleford has been fined £40,000 after some of their fans directed homophobic taunts at Gareth Thomas
Castleford have reacted furiously after being fined £40,000 for allowing their supporters to direct homophobic abuse at Gareth Thomas in his second Super League appearance for the Crusaders in March.
A Rugby Football League tribunal chaired by his Honour Rodney Grant found the Tigers guilty of breaching the governing body's Respect policy, of misconduct by their supporters and of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the sport.
Thomas responded to the ruling through his agent, Emanuele Paladino, who said: "Gareth Thomas is all about positive messages and positive changes, and to that end today was a huge step forward for Gareth and the world of sport.
"It is not about the fine, but rather recognition that this behaviour from a small section of the Castleford fans is not acceptable in 2010. Unfortunately what happened at Castleford could not be ignored. We are delighted that the RFL have taken action against what is a serious and upsetting incident for all parties."
Castleford, however, who were fined £20,000 last year for their supporters' misbehaviour during a home defeat by the Catalans Dragons, revealed they are taking legal advice and considering an appeal.
"To say we are disappointed and shocked is an understatement," said their chief executive, Richard Wright. "The evidence does not support the decision and does not in any way support the scale of the penalty. We totally refute the outcome of the hearing."
They have engaged Rod Findlay, formerly the RFL's own legal adviser, who said: "There was some chanting on the day, we agreed this with the tribunal panel, there were three incidents lasting only a few moments, two of which were drowned out by public address announcements.
"The club condemns any person who makes or chants obscene remarks towards players or officials. But the charges against the club are not that there was chanting, they are that the club failed to take its best endeavours to prevent or stop any chanting. This the club refutes totally. The club has a well-established system for dealing with chanting and could not have done any more on the day.
"This season the club has been one of the most proactive in Super League when it comes to promoting a family friendly environment at the stadium, working hard all season to create an atmosphere within the stadium that is inclusive for all sections of the community."
Half of the £40,000 fine has been suspended, but the Tigers will still have to pay £40,000 immediately because a suspended fine of £20,000 following last year's incident – in which their supporters threw beer bottles on to the pitch and abused the match officials – will now be activated.
That will make a serious impact given the difficult financial times that the Tigers, like the majority of the Super League clubs, are currently experiencing. That in turn offers further evidence of the RFL's commitment to challenging homophobia and embracing diversity, after they were singled out for praise by the Stonewall charity earlier this year.
Thomas has encountered no problems in any of his eight other Super League appearances since joining the Crusaders from Cardiff in March. He has been out for two weeks with a groin problem, which is expected to rule him out again for Sunday's home game against Warrington in Wrexham. His former Wales team-mate Andy Powell, who has been considering a six-figure offer to join him in league next season, is reportedly leaning towards a move to the French union club Agen instead.
