GOOD SPORTS
From Croke Park to the Olympics, there’s no shortage of Irish LGBT+ role models…
IRISH athletes have paved the way for sports stars to speak openly about their sexuality.
Irish footballers, GAA players, boxers and rugby players have publicly come out as members of the LGBT+ community at the heights of their playing careers.
This week, Blackpool FC player Jake Daniels made history as the UK’S first active male professional footballer to come out publicly as gay in more than 30 years.
The 17-year-old, who recently signed his first professional contract, said: “I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay, and I now feel that I’m ready to come out and be myself.”
English footballer Justin Fashanu became the first openly gay male footballer in 1990 but took his own life at the age of 37, eight years after coming out publicly.
Former Aston Villa star Thomas Hitzlsperger and ex-hull City player Thomas Beattie revealed they were gay only after they had quit the game.
However, Irish sports stars have not been afraid to speak openly about their sexuality during their successful
careers. Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington recently married her longtime love Mandy Loughlin.
The couple met in 2009 through boxing and bought their first home together this year.
Boxer Kellie, 32, previously told how she has received nothing but support since she revealed she was in a samesex relationship.
She said: “We are living in a very openminded country.
“Times are changing, people are changing and everyone is open and letting people be who they want to be. That’s amazing.
“Whether it’s sexuality, sporting, career, we are all open and I think our little nation is for that. It used to be a story of being ‘the only gay in the village’. Now it has turned around and you are asking if you are the only straight
person in the village.” Republic of Ireland captain Katie Mccabe has also opened up about her sexuality. In June 2019, she disclosed that she is in a relationship with fellow footballer Ruesha Littlejohn.
Katie recalled how her parents had always been supportive since she came out at the age of 15.
She said: “They nearly bloody slapped me on the head, being like ‘Don’t be crying, don’t be silly, we don’t care’.”
The Ireland and Arsenal player also said that being around other lesbian footballers from a young age gave her the confidence to be open about her sexufantastic
ality. Katie said: “Playing in my first senior team with Raheny, I was 15 or 16 years old and starting to play with 28 and 30-year-old women.
“In that dressing room environment there were gay women and I wasn’t really used to that.
“I remember it being so accepting. It may be that gave me the nudge to get the confidence to tell my Mam and Dad.”
Leinster rugby player Jack Dunne came out as bisexual on the BBC LGBT Sports Podcast last year, becoming the only publicly bisexual professional rugby player employed by the IRFU.
He said: “I think if I was 15 years old again, I really would appreciate it if there was someone who played rugby that I could look up to.”
Dunne told how his family, friends and teammates had known for years that he is bisexual.
He said: “I’ve been out as bisexual for four or five years now but not out in the media.
“I kind of realised when I was 15 or 16. I didn’t really tell anyone [in Leinster], it kind of spread by word of mouth.
PROFESSIONAL
“Because I came out in sixth year, by the time I was in Leinster I presumed everyone knew. I never had to tell anyone in a professional environment.”
Cork hurler Donal Og Cusack came out as gay in his 2009 autobiography Come What May.
The veteran goalie, who won five Munster titles, three All-irelands and two All Stars, became the first openly
gay sports star in GAA. He said in his book: “I know I am different but just in this way. “Whatever you may feel about me or who I am, I’ve always been at peace with it.”
His younger brother Conor, who also played hurling for Cork, came out as gay five years later.
In a 2014 social media post, he said: “I’ve known for a good while now that I have been sexually attracted to men.
“In that time, I’ve had relationships with women, and enjoyed them immensely but I’ve always had more fulfilment from being with a man.
“I have been comfortable with this area of my life and I never felt the need to discuss it with anyone. That is until recently. By me talking about this part of my life, I am being true to myself but, more importantly right now, I am being true to all of those people that I am interacting with on a daily basis.”
Cork ladies’ football legend Valerie Mulcahy came out shortly after her retirement in 2015.
The 10-time All-ireland winner became the GAA’S first openly gay sportswoman when she revealed she was gay in the documentary Coming Out of the Curve.
Valerie told how she hid her sexuality for a long time and it affected her sporting performances.
She said: “You’re carrying around a secret and it isn’t easy. It definitely affected one performance alright in an All-ireland in 2006. I was kind of more consumed by what people would think or that my name would be synonymous with being gay and I didn’t want the attention.”
But she said it’s important for young people to be able to relate to other LGBT people.
She added: “If people look up to me and see that it will all be OK, I think that’s a nice thing to be able to do.”
Another who came out on TV was Taekwondo athlete Jack
Woolley who revealed he was bisexual in the 2016 documentary Road To Rio. The Olympian told how he had to deal with prejudice, even among those he was competing against.
He said: “I have had some opponents who wouldn’t shake my hand and I’m just thinking, ‘You need to cop on’.
“Most people don’t care, though, and they shouldn’t care. Maybe I can be an inspiration to some young
people.”
Some opponents wouldn’t shake my hand JACK WOOLLEY ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE