Thomas backs international homophobia in sport study
By Will Stroude
Former Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas is among the sportsmen backing the first ever international study on homophobia in sport.
The ‘Out on the Fields’ survey has been launched in the lead-up to the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17 – and is set to shed light on the prevalence of homophobia among athletes and fans, both in the UK and other countries like the United States and Australia.
The study will look at which sporting environments are considered the most welcoming and unwelcoming for LGBT people, how many athletes stay in the closet and why, and the levels of homophobia experienced by those who participate in sport.
Gareth Thomas, who came out as gay in 2009, is one of the many athletes encouraging people to take part in the study and share their experiences.
“Many athletes around the world fear they won’t be accepted by their teammates and others if they are honest about their sexuality,” Thomas said.
“I was one of those athletes and I wish, at the time, I understood how many other people were experiencing the same thing.”
The 39-year-old added: “We need to change sporting culture so that sexuality is no longer an issue and sport is welcoming and accepting to everyone. I strongly encourage people to participate in this study and share their stories, good or bad, so that we can gain a better understanding of the experiences of athletes around the world.”
The international study was initiated by organisers of the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 – the world cup of gay rugby – and will focus primarily on comparing the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, USA and New Zealand. People from any country can participate, regardless of their sexuality.
For more details and to take part in the survey, visit outonthefields.com.
You can watch Australian rugby union player David Pocock share his thoughts on the ground-breaking study below:
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