sport ‣ The Gayly Mirror

Jake Daniels comes out as gay in a heartwarming interview with SkySport.

17May

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Society, Sport

Jake Daniels comes out as gay in a heartwarming interview with SkySport.

This 17-year-old boy is the first gay male professional footballer to publicly come out since Justin Fashanu in 1990. Jake Daniels is a professional player for Blackpool FC and during an interview with Sky Sports News, the came out as gay and said he'd had "amazing support" from his teammates after telling them about his sexuality. Jake said he felt ready to be himself after "such a long time of lying" about his identity, and added: “For a long time I've thought I would have to hide my truth because I wanted to be, and now I am, a professional footballer. I asked myself if I should wait until I've retired to come out. No other player in the professional game here is out.” Surely it is sad to think that this young guy should have had to wait untile retirement to finally live his life an...

24Jan

By rebeccaNo Comments

closeUp, Culture

Film recommendation – Steelers

Start your week with a sporting endeavour – which also explores mental health and the importance of community. STEELERS (currently on Amazon Prime) tells the story of the ‘world’s first gay rugby club’, which was set up in 1995 in London’s Kings Cross. There are now 60 such clubs around the world and every two years they gather for the world tournament of gay rugby, the Bingham Cup. The film is made by one of the club’s former players, Australian reporter Eammon Ashton-Atkinson, who decided to document his team’s endeavours after a concussion meant he couldn’t play. He himself found the club when he moved to London from Australia, struggling with depression, and found a team which welcomed him, helped him get fit again and, ultimately, introduced him to his future husband. As well a...

Jack Dunne – Irish Pro-Rugby player – publicly comes out as bisexual

30Jun

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Sport

Jack Dunne – Irish Pro-Rugby player – publicly comes out as bisexual

Rugby has always been a very inclusive sport, one of the most open-minded team-sports, and a new player - Jack Dunne - comes out publicly about his sexuality. The player for Irish team Leinster discussed his sexuality in a recent Pride-themed webinar for his team's YouTube page, and speaking to TV presenter Craig Doyle, 22-year-old Jack said he's actually been "out as bisexual for four or five years now - but not out in the media." https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-6coYqePYHQ&feature=emb_logo In a following interview with the Independent.ie he added: "I kind of realised when I was 15 or 16, but you are in a school full of teenage boys. [...] A lot of them would say things that they wouldn't even be thinking about, but they are just doing it out of ignorance....

Ex British football player, Stan Collymore, receive homophobic email.

16Jun

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Sport

Ex British football player, Stan Collymore, receive homophobic email.

Homophobia in sport is still a too big problem. And still it hurts a lot. Stan Collymore, ex professional football player, who played for England between 1995 and 1997 and became a football pundit, received a homophobic email that he shared with his Twitter followers on Saturday - June 13 - and received loads of messages of support. You can read the offensive and homophic email in the pictures Stan Collymore posted on twitter: https://twitter.com/StanCollymore/status/1271932617466744837 The football player waited no time and promptly acted to report the happening and the person behind it: https://twitter.com/StanCollymore/status/1271949843246845957 According to the BBC, Leo Maddocks, 37, of Francis Street, Derby, got arrested on Sunday 14th June and was charged with sending a...

6May

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Sport

Dennis Del Valle comes out as gay

‘I did not need the whole world to know I was gay.’ Dennis Del Valle, playing for a Swiss Team (Lausanne), opened up about his homosexuality in an interview with Swiss website 24 Heures. He said he regretted not coming out at his teammates earlier and added: “Now is the time to speak up. There must be lots of young athletes who live in secret, in Switzerland and elsewhere. On my level, I’ve had a successful career being gay. I hope they will say to themselves: ‘Why not me?’ Maybe I could change someone’s life. Me speaking out could allow someone to gain confidence, to feel safer, to not stop playing sport for fear of rejection.” When asked why he came out so late to his teammates he replied: “I especially didn’t want to break the chemistry of the team, that it could become weird in...

9Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News

Curdin Orlik comes out as gay.

“It is better to be yourself than to live in fear of who you really are." Swiss Swing Wrestler Champion, Curdin Orlik decided to come out and talk about his homosexuality a few days after the historic vote where the Swiss people voted in favour of a law that severely punishes all homotransphobic discriminations. Many users on social media have praised his choice to come out and the entire sport world got so positively shaken by this brave man that we hope many other sportsmen will want to follow his example. Curdin, 27, who has got a child from a former wedding, said: "I have been gay since I was 12. [...] This is me, I can't help it. That's how I was born. I have hidden who I really am. Now I want to be free." The Swiss Gay Pink Cross Federation said they are pleased to welcome a ne...

Ekdal: “Gays in football are afraid of coming” out – VIDEO

5Feb

By RaffaNo Comments

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Ekdal: “Gays in football are afraid of coming” out – VIDEO

During the Sport VS Homophobia meeting held at the European Parliament in Brussels, Albin Ekdal spoke bluntly: “In our sport, only eight players have come out homosexuals, an extremely small number. Many would like to, but they don’t feel free to do so, fearful of negative reactions ". Watch the full video below: https://www.facebook.com/tizianabeghineuropa/videos/715201422348597/ In the video Edkal told how gay players who would like to come out "feel obliged to flee to hide and live in fear" and that "we need to fight back on this issue harnessing education as a force for good.” “In an ideal world, nobody would feel uncomfortable coming out as homosexual, whether in their everyday life or in football. Unfortunately the reality is somewhat different.” “Being h...