This weekend saw the announcement by Gareth Thomas, Welsh rugby's most capped player and former captain of the British Lions, that he is gay. He is the highest profile British sportsman to openly discuss his homosexuality and in the 21st century, the question I most want to ask is.... why? There are plenty of gay sportsmen and women out there. When I played club level football and briefly rugby too, there were plenty of lesbians in the team...... but so what? None of us cared, they were just team mates.
It seems amazing to me that it matters to anyone else what his sexuality is. He's a great sportsman, a fantastic example of a truly dedicated, professional player. This holds whether he is gay or straight. It seems incredibly sad that society has forced him to keep his real self under wraps until now. His interview in yesterday's Sunday Times talks about his despair and suicidal ideas. What kind of world are we living in? We like to think of ourselves as an advanced society and yet people like Gareth feel the need to live a lie for fear of suffering prejudice, disadvantage or worse; blind, ignorant hatred.
Homosexuality remains illegal in many states of the USA, another fact that I find staggering. As we reach the end of the decade we tend to look back over past events. How long before we look back over outdated attitudes such as homophobia with the disbelief and disgust that they deserve?
For what it's worth, I say, good on you Gareth, you're a brave man. May your example ease the pain and suffering of others in a similar position and may one day may openess like yours be the norm rather than the exception.
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