Sports star Phillips’ kiss of life
GAY sports superstar Erin Phillips has revealed how a much-touted public kiss with her wife may have helped save a young fan’s life.
Phillips spoke emotionally at a conference focusing on equality in sport on the Gold Coast yesterday.
The dual Olympic basketballer turned women’s AFL champion told the audience she wanted to be a sporting hero to inspire youngsters but believed being a homosexual hero was more important.
The Adelaide Crows skipper publicly kissed her wife Tracy Gahan after winning the league’s best and fairest award.
She said that soon after the kiss, a young fan struggling with their sexuality emailed to thank her and Gahan for the inspiration to carry on.
“Heroes changed people’s lives,” Phillips said. “When you have somebody in their teens email you and say ‘thankyou Tracy and Erin, you’ve saved my life’, that’s something unbelievable, that’s beyond sport … that’s really special.
“Just by Tracy and I being who we are and living our life and being happy, this young person just saw a future and saw a way, a lifestyle. That’s ... more powerful than sport.”