Gareth Thomas says he was spat on and called an ‘AIDS spreader’ by rugby fans as he recalls homophobic abuse
The ex rugby captain revealed he did not retaliate: "They walked past me, one spat at my chest, one spat at my feet"
By Aaron Sugg
Gareth Thomas, former Wales rugby captain and the first openly gay professional rugby player, has revealed he has faced homophobic abuse since publicly disclosing he is HIV positive.
Since sharing the diagnosis in 2019, Thomas has starred in the documentary Gareth Thomas: HIV and Me and launched the Tackle HIV campaign to raise awareness and fight discrimination.
On the Life of Bryony podcast, he described being spat on and called an “AIDS spreader” in public.
“One spat at my chest, one spat at my feet” – Gareth Thomas
He told the host: “The two young lads who walked past spat [at] me and called me an AIDS spreader. I stopped and I opened up my arms. They walked past me, one spat at my chest, one spat at my feet. They walked past me [and] waited for a reaction and I just opened my arms and it kind of put them off because they wanted a reaction that was completely different.”
He continued: “I’ve been the better person in all of that because they wanted the reaction. They wanted me to say something. They wanted confirmation that I was a bad person and I refused to give [them] that.”
He went on to say the attacks made him feel vulnerable, but he wanted to show strength by not reacting in the way his attackers expected.
The 51-year-old starred in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2023, filmed in Vietnam. In the show he spoke about his time on the pitch after coming out: “I wanted to represent my country. Those that didn’t like I was gay couldn’t drop it. I was petrified of people thinking I was gay.”
“There were people in crowd calling me a faggot for 90 minutes straight” – Gareth Thomas
He elaborated: “For some matches there were people in crowd calling me a faggot for 90 minutes straight.”
As per the National Aids Trust 2024 report, 107,949 people received HIV care in the UK in 2023, the highest number ever recorded and a 27% increase over the past decade.
Speaking in a separate interview with The Mirror, the rugby star confessed that his diagnosis has caused his family to recieve backlash.
Earlier this year he told the publication: “In a way, sadly, my family are sometimes guilty by association with me. You know, my husband sometimes has difficulties at work or difficulties in society because he’s married to me.”
Despite backlash, Thomas continues to advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness through media appearances and public talks. Most recently, he collaborated with the Chelsea Flower Show, aiming to change people’s perceptions of the virus.
Go to a sexual health clinic if:
You think you’ve been exposed to the HIV virus in the last 72 hours.
The virus can be spread by having vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom or by sharing needles with someone who has HIV.
Staff at the clinic should be able to offer you emergency HIV medicine, which may stop you getting infected.
Source: NHS