Sports figures nominated for Gaydar Radio's Hero Awards

From Gaydar Radio:

Welcome to GaydarRadio’s Hero and Heroine Awards 2012!

Throughout January, February and March we're celebrating LGBT History Month by recognising the people who influence and make a difference to the LGBT community in the UK.

We'll also be running our Hero and Heroine Awards where you’ll get the chance to nominate and vote for the people you think make a significant contribution to our lives. So, get your thinking caps on and see who you'd like to nominate as a Hero or Heroine for 2012. Voting has now opened!

Every Sunday for the next twelve weeks, GaydarRadio will be interviewing an important person from the LGBT community who is successful in their field. The special guests will talk about the heroes who have influenced their lives, before being crowned GaydarRadio’s Hero or Heroine of the Week!

GaydarRadio’s Hero and Heroine season is a celebration of everything LGBT and proves that we are all heroes from our own community!5) Sports Personality of the Year

The shortlist of sports personalities is:

Anton Hysen
Ben Cohen
David Beckham
Gareth Thomas
Tom Daly





Anton Hysen is also nominated as "Hero of the Year", and Gareth Thomas as "Celebrity of the Year".

(Question: where are the female sports personalities???)

Vote for your favorite HERE.

Video / BBC reports on number 10 reception, with video from Billie Jean King

Gareth Thomas presented PM  David Cameron
with his team shirt

Read the story and watch the Billie Jean King video HERE:

Gay sports stars in No 10 to back anti-homophobia plan

David Cameron with rugby player Gareth Thomas in Downing Street Mr Cameron said successful role models were vital in helping tackling homophobia in sport

Leading gay, lesbian and trans gender sports stars have met David Cameron in No 10 to show their support for an initiative to rid sport of homophobia. Rugby player Gareth Thomas and multiple Wimbledon champion Billie Jean King were among those present.

The governing bodies of football, rugby union, rugby league, cricket and tennis agreed a "charter for action" in March. But Home Secretary Theresa May said the small number of openly gay sports stars showed more work needed to be done.

Recently retired England rugby star Ben Cohen was also at the event. The heterosexual World Cup winner recently launched a campaign against homophobic bullying and highlighted the issue on a recent trip to the US, where he has a significant gay following.

Billie Jean King, who shares the record for the most Wimbledon titles won, said athletes should be given the space to talk openly about their sexuality when they felt ready and not feel pressurised into doing so. Billie Jean King: "I just hope that this'll help someone out there who's on the fence. The difficulty is are you going to be criticised or isolated in your job environment?" she said. "Sometimes it depends on their environment and the people around them. The most important thing is they have to be safe." While homophobia was still a real issue in sport, she said there had been progress in the 30 years since she was outed. "I lost all my endorsements in 24 hours, I lost a lot of money. Today that would not happen. When Amelie Mauresmo came out she did not lose any endorsements - in fact she got extra ones."

The home secretary said Wednesday's event sent a "very clear signal" that the government and national sporting associations took the issue seriously and "wanted to make a difference". While attitudes were changing, she said homophobia was still "very much a problem" in sport. "Just look at how few sports people have come out," she said. Footballers who want to come out have every confidence they can come out and be equally respected by both spectators and supporters alike. I think that is a sign of the fear and the concerns they have about being able to do that. They don't feel able to be themselves, they should feel able to be themselves." The behaviour of some spectators also needed to change, she added. "I think a lot can be done in a number of sports but particularly, I fear, on the football terraces. Spectators often feel themselves hearing the sort of comments they should not have to hear."

'Overcoming barriers'

The Football Association, English Cricket Board, Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League and Lawn Tennis Association all signed up to an initiative earlier this year to strive to eradicate homophobia and transphobia.

The governing bodies agreed to work individually and collectively to make sport a "welcome place for everyone", to ensure the LGBT community had a voice in sport and to "challenge unacceptable behaviour".

The head of the Professional Footballers Association, Gordon Taylor, said that, as the most popular sport in the country, football had a responsibility to "set the best example". "We have to follow the lead set by other sports, such as rugby, cricket and tennis, and... from that point of view, footballers who want to come out have every confidence they can come out and be equally respected by both spectators and supporters alike." Welcoming the charter initiative, he added: "Sport can get to places where politicians, police, schoolteachers can't get to. From that point of view, sport in its finest aspect can overcome these barriers."

Some interesting names on list of top-ten influential LGBT people in Britain

From TimeOut magazine's "Pride Power" list:

Number 1: Gareth Thomas - rugby player

Former captain of the Wales rugby union team, Thomas came out two years ago in the Daily Mail revealing: ‘What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby.’ He recieved Stonewall’s Hero of the Year award in 2010. He now plays for Super League side the Crusaders. Follow @gareththomas14 on Twitter

Number 4: Gay Games Ambassador Sir Elton John - musician

Elton John is one of the world’s most high-profile gay men and pours money and time into his Aids charity work. He recently showed off his new son, born to a surrogate mum, in OK! magazine and continues to be out and proud to further the acceptance of same-sex parenting. Follow @eltonjohndotcom on Twitter

Number 5: Hope Powell - coach, England women’s football team

A fully qualified A-licence coach, in 2003 Powell became the first woman and out lesbian to achieve the UEFA Pro Licence and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. She was given an OBE in 2002 and a CBE in the 2010 birthday honours.

Number 7: Clare Balding - TV presenter

Cambridge graduate Balding is at the top her game after conquering thyroid cancer. The award-winning TV sports presenter and journalist is out, proud and in a civil partnership. Follow @clarebalding1 on Twitter

Downing Street reception will focus on LGBT sport and the fight against homophobia in sport

Among those invited are Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan and representatives from FGG member organizations Pride Sports and Out for Sport, as well as from the bid committee for Gay Games 2018. More from PinkNews:

Prime minister David Cameron is to host a reception at Downing Street for the gay community tomorrow evening.

The event will focus on tackling homophobia in sport and invitees will include gay and lesbian sports stars, campaigners and celebrities.

Sportsmen Gareth Thomas, Steven Davies and Ben Cohen are all expected to have been invited, along with community leaders and volunteers from across the country.

One prominent gay rights figure who won’t be there is Peter Tatchell. The activist has never received an invitation to Downing Street, despite being one of Britain’s best known gay rights campaigners. Mr Tatchell said: “It is a bit odd but they must have their reasons. Maybe I’m too much of a troublemaker. I’m sure I would turn up and be on my best behaviour.” A Downing Street source said: “There are lots of people who haven’t been invited.”

Organisers hoped that prominent footballers would be among the invitees. However, this is the traditional footballers’ ‘holiday season’ and many are not in the country. Instead, some ‘older faces’ from the footballing world are expected to attend, along with chief executives from sports associations.

LGBT receptions in Downing Street began in 2009 when Gordon Brown was prime minister. Mr Cameron has continued the tradition. At last year’s reception, he promised the crowd the coalition government would change the law to allow religious buildings to host civil partnership ceremonies.

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Also invited is:

SHEFFIELD Eagles boss Mark Aston will be sitting down to dinner with David Cameron at No 10 Downing Street tomorrow night. Aston has been invited by the Prime Minister to recognise the Eagles’ leading role in the game’s stand against homophobia in sport.

The Eagles wore specially-designed shirts with the slogan ‘Homophobia: Tackle It!’ in their game against Widnes Vikings earlier this season. “I’ve been invited by the Prime Minister to join a number of other chief executives of clubs, mainly from the Super League,” said Aston, Eagles head coach and chief executive. “I’m very pleased to be asked because it recognises the work Sheffield Eagles have done in tackling homophobia.

Some guests of interest at wedding of William Mountbatten-Windsor and Kate Middleton

The upcoming wedding to be held at Westminster Abbey has attracted some media attention. A few of the guests are of interest to fans of the Gay Games: Gay Games Ambassador Sir Elton John, a friend of the groom's late mother, and Gareth Thomas, who knows the groom through the Welsh national rugby team.

From The Telegraph:

Royal wedding: Gay rugby star Gareth Thomas wins invitation through friendship with Prince William
Gareth Thomas, the first openly homosexual leading rugby player, has been invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.

Gareth Thomas, the celebrated Welsh rugby player, was delighted with the response when he "came out" as the sport's first homosexual in 2009. Now, he has received an honour of which he is equally proud: he has been invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.

"I'm in London to get a suit fitted," Thomas tells Mandrake at a party to launch the Nintendo 3DS. "I'm a friend of William through rugby. I'm just going to the service. I'm not nervous about it. It will be really good."

The unlikely friendship of Christian Louboutin and Gareth Thomas...

From the London Evening Standard:

High heels and drop kicks: Christian Louboutin and Gareth Thomas
What does 101kg of Welsh man meat have in common with 74kg of French aesthete?

As the most successful captain of his national rugby team in recent times, Gareth Thomas tears down opponents to the delight of the crowd; as the most outrageous shoe designer of his age, Christian Louboutin coaxes women into precarious heels for the sexual thrill of men. So you could say that both are used to inflicting pain in the name of pleasure - but their friendship runs deeper than that.

Alfie (as everyone calls Thomas) and Louby (as only Thomas calls Louboutin) met last year, shortly after Thomas revealed that the strain of keeping his homosexuality a secret had destroyed his marriage and nearly driven him to suicide. That made him arguably the most high-profile 'out' sportsman in the world. Louboutin was so moved by the story, he fashioned a special pair of shoes for Thomas and the two became firm - platonic - friends. (Louboutin is in a long-term relationship with a landscape gardener, while Thomas is currently single.)

Keep reading (and view the entertaining photos) HERE.

Rugby League team eager to show progress in fight against homophobia

From the website of the UK's Rugby Football League:

Castleford Tigers are confident there will be no repeat of the homophobic chanting when Gareth Thomas returns to the PROBIZ Stadium on Sunday. The Tigers were handed a £40,000 fine, later reduced to £20,000 on appeal, for a breach of the Rugby Football League’s Respect policy after a section of their fans abused the openly-gay Thomas on his second appearance for Crusaders RL 12 months ago.

Castleford chief executive Richard Wright says the club have put measures in place to ensure there will be no repeat. They include an extra response team briefed to eject fans demonstrating inappropriate behaviour, a poster campaign promoting the RFL’s Respect values and the installation of CCTV cameras.

“We’ve invited the RFL’s equality and diversity officer as guest of honour for Sunday’s game and we are very proud of the fantastic progress made in introducing new initiatives, some of which are firsts for rugby league and sport in general,” said Wright. “We know that it was a small number of mindless fools that let the club, the town and the sport of rugby league down last year and we have taken steps to deal with these. Anybody found guilty of homophobic abuse has, and will be, banned from games indefinitely."

"Sunday is an opportunity for the fans to make a statement that Castleford Tigers are not a homophobic club. The club has played its part, it’s now up to the fans to concentrate on cheering the team and proving once and for all how this is a proud club, that warrants its reputation as one of the friendliest, family-orientated clubs in the game.”

Gareth Thomas launches foundation

Via Outsports:

Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas, whose powerful coming out story has inspired gays and lesbians worldwide, has started a foundation to help young people via grants, mentoring and networking. The goal of the Gareth Thomas Foundation:

To allow young people and those from marginalized groups to fulfill their potential, addressing the challenges of diversity and using role models from the wider sports world.

Read the full post HERE.

Gareth Thomas on ITV's Tonight's "Afraid to Be Gay"

Britain's ITV's Tonight broadcast "Afraid to Be Gay", an investigation of everyday homophobia featuring Gareth Thomas:

Former Wales rugby union captain Gareth Thomas uses hidden-camera footage to investigate attitudes to homosexuality, and explores why, despite all the legislation, homophobic attacks are on the rise.

Recently 'out' rugby star Thomas and ITV's TONIGHT team have uncovered stark prejudice on the streets of Britain while filming undercover. In Afraid to be Gay: TONIGHT, the programme shows Mancunian couple Nick and Nathaniel as they walk through Wigan and Leigh holding hands.

Filmed by a crew, onlookers appear on camera to voice their disapproval, but generally with a degree of good humour and tolerance. Then Assistant Producer Harriet Gill carries a concealed camera in her handbag. Taunts of "Batty boy" and "Queer" begin to fly. Everyone is alert to the possibility of violence.

The programme shows exclusive film from Thomas' coming-out party, interviews with Will Young, Dr Christian Jessen from Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies and publicist Max Clifford, who advises premiership footballers to delay coming out until they retire.

Current Affairs Producer Neil Barnes says the whole team were taken by surprise at the ingrained levels of homophobia uncovered while making the programme. "Britain might have some of the most liberal laws on homosexuality in Europe, but hate crime is still growing in Britain.We're proud to bring this to light in a compelling way."

Thomas also meets a teenager on the verge of suicide because of the taunts he receives about his sexuality, while an exclusive Tonight poll reveals what the nation really thinks about homosexuality in 2010.

Amazon.com:

Amazon.co.uk:

Amazon.de:

Amazon.fr:

A look back at BBC's Inside Sport's "The Last Taboo"

Inside Sport - The Last Taboo
Date: Monday, 24 May
Coverage details: BBC One (England 2320 BST, Scotland & Wales 2350 BST, Northern Ireland 0020 BST (Tue)
By Mark Chapman
BBC Sport presenter

Over the past few weeks I have been called naive, stupid, brave, predictable, slow, cumbersome and astonishingly, cute. All this, because I was making a television programme.

Mind you, all that was nothing compared to some of the name-calling suffered by the people I have been interviewing.

Former Wales rugby union international and now rugby league player Gareth Thomas, former British basketball star John Amaechi, tennis legend Martina Navratilova and All-Ireland hurler Donal Og Cusack have all tried to help me understand why in 2010, 10 years into the 21st century, we have only ever had one openly gay footballer in this country.

It was 1990 when Justin Fashanu announced his sexuality to the world via the front page of the Sun. It was 1998 when his body was found in an east London lock-up. He had taken his own life.

His story, his experiences and more than anything else, his death still dominate the subject. 'No player will come out because look what happened to Justin Fashanu' is a common argument. When I mentioned on Twitter I was writing this documentary, Fashanu was mentioned in one of the first tweets I got back.

But as much as we cannot ignore Fashanu, what part do the media play, the fans, the companies who plough billions into the sport and the players themselves? Is any one of them more responsible than the rest for the fact that other sports can deal with openly gay players and football seemingly cannot?

Video of Gareth Thomas interview with Outsports

Gareth Thomas says "It Gets Better"

Gareth Thomas has produced a new video for the "It Gets Better" project.

Visit our "It Gets Better" page HERE.

Gareth Thomas interviewed by Outsports

From Outsports:

Gareth Thomas is not one to mince words. A rugby player, he plays a tough sport where subtlety is not required. So expect nothing but a blunt answer if you ask about the idea of Mickey Rourke playing him in a film. After all, Rourke is 21 years older and does not have perfect pecs and a six-pack.

"I don't give a fuck about that," says Thomas. "He's the perfect person to play me. ... It's not about the physical."

Thirteen months ago, the thought of Thomas, 36, sitting in a Los Angeles hotel talking about being cast in a movie would have seemed absurd to him. But his life has dramatically changed since he came out as an openly gay professional rugby player.

He was in Los Angeles this week for more meetings about the movie, to tape an "It Gets Better" video and to be a guest on the "Ellen" show. He sat with Outsports for an extended interview and came across as an affable, comfortable yet impressive man (all 6-3 and 226 pounds of him). Clad in a flannel shirt over a t-shirt and jeans, he even lifted his shirt to show us one of his tattoos, revealing the black Ellen underwear he was wearing (we will post the video on Friday).

Keep reading HERE.

Video: Gareth Thomas on "Ellen"

Gareth Thomas on Ellen, Ellen Degeneres's talk show.

Gareth Thomas on "Ellen" talk show Tuesday

Via Outsports:

Out pro rugby icon Gareth Thomas is headed to Los Angeles the week of 3 January and will sit down with Ellen DeGeneres on her daytime talk show on Tuesday.


More info HERE.

Mickey Rourke confirms plans to play Gareth Thomas in biopic

Confirmation of rumors being heard since last summer in the Toronto Sun:

Mickey Rourke has confirmed he’s tackling a new movie role based on the true story of a gay rugby player.

The actor met up with Welsh sports ace Gareth Thomas over the summer, prompting rumours the pair was set to bring the athlete’s tale to the big screen - and the gossip is true.

Rourke says, “I read the story, it’s one of the toughest, hardest sports... and to be a man that plays rugby that is gay, to live with that secret for the amount of years Gareth had, to perform at the high level he performed at, it takes a lot of courage.”

And the Wrestler star admits he’s already in training to master Thomas’ Welsh accent.

Thomas hit headlines last year when he became the first rugby union player to ’come out’ as a gay man.

Gareth Thomas says "It Gets Better"

Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas has just published this video for the "It Gets Better" project.

Visit our "It Gets Better" page HERE.

Contributions of Gareth Thomas noted

While our readers have already noted rugby player Gareth Thomas's contributions to the fight against homophobia in sport, he has just been recognized for his outstanding contributions to Rugby League, following his move from Rugby Union.

From SportingLife.com:

Gareth Thomas' impact on his entry into rugby league was recognised when he was named as one of five personalities of the year.

The veteran former British Lions threequarter made only 11 Super League appearances in 2010 because of injury but his signing for the Crusaders raised the profile of the fledgling Welsh club and he ended the year on a high by leading Wales to victory in the European Cup in France.

Thomas has been singled out by the Gillette Rugby League Yearbook as one of the five individuals judged to have made the biggest impact on the European and world game in 2010.

"As the most-capped Wales player in rugby union history, Thomas gave a Crusaders team assembled at the last minute by coach Brian Noble a face instantly recognisable by the Welsh public," said contributing editor Tim Butcher.

Keep reading HERE.

Gareth Thomas pays surprise visit to San Francisco

Reprinted from the 26 November issue of the Bay Area Reporter in San Francisco

by Roger Brigham
jocktalkroger@yahoo.com

Reprinted from the 26 November issue of the Bay Area Reporter in San Francisco
by Roger Brigham
jocktalkroger@yahoo.com

Chill was in the air, fog enveloped the city, fickle rains came and went, and constant breezes bit exposed faces and hands as rugby players and fans gathered Saturday on Treasure Island to see the San Francisco Fog tackle the Mendocino Steam Donkeys and San Jose Seahawks. But hearts were warmed with a surprise visit by Gareth Thomas, the Welsh lion who is currently the only openly gay man playing for any major league professional team sport in the world.

It was a welcome as warm as the weather was cold. There is an informal familiarity in rugby, a fundamental fellowship recognizable whether players are close teammates, longtime rivals, or newly met strangers. The locals teased Thomas about the lovely weather as they lent him a cap and jacket and fetched him a cup of coffee.
"Where I live in Wales is cold," he told them, "but we don't have this wind." They swapped stories and asked him about his plans and his travels. Those plans include a feature film about his life that is being discussed in Hollywood now.

The visit was one of celebration and symbolism. Thomas was here to watch rugby and express his support of the Fog's mission of inclusion in the sport. He was able to meet new Fog head coach Kathy Flores, who is also coach of the women's national team, and Alice Hoglan, mother of the Fog player Mark Bingham who was one of the passengers on Flight 93 who died fighting terrorists on the plane on 9/11. Past rugby player that I am, I got the chance to introduce Thomas to two local LGBT sports activists: Doug Litwin, marketing officer for the Gay Games; and Derek Liecty, honorary lifetime member of the Federation of Gay Games.