Sport remains a ‘very toxic’ and homophobic environment despite decades of work making it more inclusive, Gareth Thomas has told Bryony Gordon.
Speaking to Daily Mail podcast The Life of Bryony, the former Welsh Rugby captain, 51, said ‘nothing has changed’ in tackling homophobia since he began playing almost 40 years ago.
Thomas captained both Wales and the British and Irish Lions during his illustrious playing career, becoming the first Welshman to be captained 100 times by his national team.
You can listen to this episode of The Life of Bryony by clicking the player below or here
In 2009, Thomas broke ground by becoming rugby union’s first openly gay professional player. In 2019, Thomas announced that he was HIV positive with undetectable status, meaning he carries the virus but is not infectious.
‘I came from an environment within rugby that was very toxic and masculine’, Thomas told Daily Mail columnist Bryony Gordon.
‘I remember every week, we’d sit down and talk about the team we were going to play on the weekend. Their strengths and weaknesses.
‘I sat in changing rooms, knowing I was different – and everything that was a weakness was framed in extremely homophobic language.
‘If somebody couldn’t run well, they ran like a b*****. If somebody couldn’t catch, they caught like a f*****.
‘I remember thinking to myself: I can’t be gay, because I could run and catch like everybody else. It was genuinely so difficult to figure out my identity.
Sport remains a ‘very toxic’ and homophobic environment despite decades of work making it more inclusive, Gareth Thomas has told Bryony Gordon
In 2009, Thomas broke ground by becoming rugby union’s first openly gay professional player
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‘We assume we’ve come really far in sport and that doesn’t exist anymore – but let me tell you, from all the stories I’ve heard – it still exists.’
Thomas argued the lack of openly gay professional athletes demonstrates that sport remains discriminatory toward the LGBTQ+ community.
‘There’s probably millions of people that play sport professionally’, the former Wales Rugby captain began.
‘From American football, to baseball, to rugby – can you name five openly gay participants in male sport?
‘I sure as hell can’t and I know my sport better than anyone. If we’ve come really far, why can’t we name five? It doesn’t make sense.
Thomas argued the lack of openly gay professional athletes demonstrates that sport remains discriminatory toward the LGBTQ+ community
Thomas ended his professional rugby career in October 2011. Since then, he has championed HIV awareness and inclusivity in sport
‘It’s the same for girls, just the other side of the coin. Girls aren’t participating because they don’t want to be misidentified as gay.
‘As a professional sportsperson, let me tell you: you don’t want to be defined by your sexuality every time you step out onto the field.’
Thomas ended his professional rugby career in October 2011. Since then, he has championed HIV awareness and inclusivity in sport but said ‘nothing has changed’ since his playing days.
Thomas has admitted to feeling suicidal at the height of his career due to struggles with his identity.
‘Unions and associations have to be proactive’, Thomas said.
‘It’s all well and good saying, we’re really inclusive and diverse. Well, show me that you can’t get away with homophobia.
‘Nothing has changed in sport from when I was a 16-year-old kid and sat in a changing room being told that if I couldn’t run, I was a f*****.
‘We have to be better. I remember when I came out, the union called me and said: ‘we’ll change – we’ll protect you.’
‘My words to them were: there’s nothing more you can do, but there was a load you could have done.
‘We need to create an environment where people don’t have to do something drastic for someone to react.’
To listen to Gareth’s full interview, where he discusses his playing career and tackling discrimination, search for The Life of Bryony now, wherever you get your podcasts.