Gareth Thomas
northernneil
Posts: 1,549
any pro cyclists ever come out ? Surely must be easier in cycling than a 'macho' sport like rugby where people physically jostle and wrestle?
statistically there will have been lots.
Very brave of Gareth, I admire him even more now.
statistically there will have been lots.
Very brave of Gareth, I admire him even more now.
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Maybe I'm being unfairly stereotypical here, but I can't imagine all the fans in places like Spain or Italy taking too kindly to a homosexual cyclist.0
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There's one recent world champion but it's no secret.
It's also their personal life, and personal to them. What car they drive, if they are left-handed etc, I can't help feeling these things are perhaps best left to them.0 -
Kléber wrote:There's one recent world champion but it's no secret.
It's also their personal life, and personal to them. What car they drive, if they are left-handed etc, I can't help feeling these things are perhaps best left to them.
Ballan ???0 -
northernneil wrote:any pro cyclists ever come out ? Surely must be easier in cycling than a 'macho' sport like rugby where people physically jostle and wrestle?
statistically there will have been lots.
Very brave of Gareth, I admire him even more now.
It's an interesting question.
Cycling isn't too hot on other minorities either.Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
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tarquin_foxglove wrote:northernneil wrote:Very brave of Gareth, I admire him even more now.
Hello sailor!
and there is the reason why its difficult to come out in public summed up nicely by a neanderthal0 -
Judith Arndt is in a relationship with another female cyclist who's name I can't remember.
WRT Gareth Thomas, I've disliked him ever since he led the player-revolt to get Mike Ruddock out of the head coach's job. Gay or not, I still dislike him.0 -
Sorry, I should have added:- Selling your "coming out" story to the Daily Mail? That's a big WTF right there.0
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afx237vi wrote:Sorry, I should have added:- Selling your "coming out" story to the Daily Mail? That's a big WTF right there.
It might be perfectly possible that they offered him the opportunity after showing him a story they were going to publish.
I reckon it'd be really difficult to come out to the pro peleton. More so than in many other sports. They do tend to have a mob rules approach to a lot of things.Scottish and British...and a bit French0 -
tarquin_foxglove wrote:
Is that better?0 -
dulldave wrote:afx237vi wrote:Sorry, I should have added:- Selling your "coming out" story to the Daily Mail? That's a big WTF right there.
It might be perfectly possible that they offered him the opportunity after showing him a story they were going to publish.
I reckon it'd be really difficult to come out to the pro peloton. More so than in many other sports. They do tend to have a mob rules approach to a lot of things.
That's the only possible explanation I can think of, but then again it's been common knowledge amongst rugby fans for years. Someone must have gone to the press before this weekend...0 -
tarquin_foxglove wrote:tarquin_foxglove wrote:
Is that better?
yep0 -
afx237vi wrote:dulldave wrote:afx237vi wrote:Sorry, I should have added:- Selling your "coming out" story to the Daily Mail? That's a big WTF right there.
It might be perfectly possible that they offered him the opportunity after showing him a story they were going to publish.
I reckon it'd be really difficult to come out to the pro peloton. More so than in many other sports. They do tend to have a mob rules approach to a lot of things.
That's the only possible explanation I can think of, but then again it's been common knowledge amongst rugby fans for years. Someone must have gone to the press before this weekend...
The story also plugs Childline and the NSPCC quite heavily, of which Thomas is a supporter.0 -
afx237vi wrote:Judith Arndt is in a relationship with another female cyclist who's name I can't remember.
WRT Gareth Thomas, I've disliked him ever since he led the player-revolt to get Mike Ruddock out of the head coach's job. Gay or not, I still dislike him.
+1, admired him before that and his little spat with the BBC when he was held to account by Butler. Also, as you say it's hardly a surprise to Welsh rugby supporters. Statistically there must be several in the pro peloton and every other sport but the nature of men's sport seems to mean that it is kept quiet (see what happened to Justin Fashanu) whereas there tends to be a lot more high profile examples of gay women in sport.0 -
I'm surprised we haven't had a: 'What's it all about, Alfie?'
Other than that, I'm with the Mike Ruddock gang.
He managed to get a very average group of players to perform above their potential and in a super attractive style.
Then, they got above themselves, GT was a prime culprit in MR's removal and the shiite campaign that followed.
As for him coming out. It should only be of interest to him."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Well, good on him if it makes life easier for others to come out.
I work with a male gay man who is heavily into sports, but finds it frustrating that there are so few role models for him. And he's a cyclist too, who would buy every piece of kit including the bike, of any pro-rider who announced he was gay.
Because, the essentially important thing about gay men is that they are all stinking rich (nothing like a sweeping statement, I know) and I cannot fathom out why the teams have not figured this out yet. The Power of the Pink Pound/Euro/Dollar is not not be scoffed at.
My money's on Garmin signing the first male gay pro cyclist.
Lesbians are different. Dunno why, but they are.0 -
Tusher wrote:
My money's on Garmin signing the first male gay pro cyclist.
I thought a Dutch team had already done that a few years ago. (oh the intrigue...)Let's close our eyes and see what happens0 -
northernneil wrote:any pro cyclists ever come out ? Surely must be easier in cycling than a 'macho' sport like rugby where people physically jostle and wrestle?
statistically there will have been lots.
Very brave of Gareth, I admire him even more now.
Never heard of the guy but then i dont follow rugby so thats no suprise. But really coming out in this day does not seem to be a big deal and i dont see really see it as being brave.Gasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
Tusher wrote:Because, the essentially important thing about gay men is that they are all stinking rich (nothing like a sweeping statement, I know) and I cannot fathom out why the teams have not figured this out yet. The Power of the Pink Pound/Euro/Dollar is not not be scoffed at.
I know 3 gay men and all are fairly well off (money wise - doh I know what you thought!). Not sure if they are like a "Are you Free"...masons type club or what.
As an atheist, I see homosexuality as natural as heterosexuality. It's only religion that teaches it's a sin in God's eye. But even then, the Churches are so confused..ie Gay Bishops etc.
Actually I'm not really bothered who comes out or what Cheryl Cole eats for her breakfast or what washing powder Susan Boyle uses.....Boring.CAAD9
Kona Jake the Snake
Merlin Malt 40 -
Moray Gub wrote:
Never heard of the guy but then i dont follow rugby so thats no suprise. But really coming out in this day does not seem to be a big deal and i dont see really see it as being brave.
Ever lived in Wales? Men are men and don't tolerate that sort of thing. It shows balls (no pun intended) to come out, but its tempered a bit by the fact that he's now at the end of his career. There is no way a rugby player in his prime would come out.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
Timoid. wrote:Moray Gub wrote:
Never heard of the guy but then i dont follow rugby so thats no suprise. But really coming out in this day does not seem to be a big deal and i dont see really see it as being brave.
Ever lived in Wales? Men are men and don't tolerate that sort of thing. It shows balls (no pun intended) to come out, but its tempered a bit by the fact that he's now at the end of his career. There is no way a rugby player in his prime would come out.
Bit of a sweeping generalisation there about Wales...0 -
Timoid. wrote:Moray Gub wrote:
Never heard of the guy but then i dont follow rugby so thats no suprise. But really coming out in this day does not seem to be a big deal and i dont see really see it as being brave.
Ever lived in Wales? Men are men and don't tolerate that sort of thing. It shows balls (no pun intended) to come out, but its tempered a bit by the fact that he's now at the end of his career. There is no way a rugby player in his prime would come out.
Coming out is coming out whether it be in Cardiff or Cardenden makes no odds really despite your stereotypical image of a Welsh male. As an aside are you saying when men tolerate that sort of thing as you so put it they are not men then ?Gasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
Timoid. wrote:Moray Gub wrote:
Never heard of the guy but then i dont follow rugby so thats no suprise. But really coming out in this day does not seem to be a big deal and i dont see really see it as being brave.
Ever lived in Wales? Men are men and don't tolerate that sort of thing. It shows balls (no pun intended) to come out, but its tempered a bit by the fact that he's now at the end of his career. There is no way a rugby player in his prime would come out.
I think that's a bit unfair. As has been said already, most Welsh rugby fans have known about this for years, and AFAIK, he's never got any stick from the fans about it. It's not football and Wales is no more homophobic than anywhere else in the country.0 -
as above - this has been 'underground' knowledge for many years - I think the announcement was originally planned to co-incide with his book launch a couple of years ago...
As for the Welsh 'men' comment - I don't think people here are any different than anywhere else. There are still bigots wherever you go......0 -
Timoid. wrote:Moray Gub wrote:
Never heard of the guy but then i dont follow rugby so thats no suprise. But really coming out in this day does not seem to be a big deal and i dont see really see it as being brave.
Ever lived in Wales? Men are men and don't tolerate that sort of thing. It shows balls (no pun intended) to come out, but its tempered a bit by the fact that he's now at the end of his career. There is no way a rugby player in his prime would come out.
I've lived here for 14 years and the Welsh are generally very tolerant, friendly, pretty open minded. Far more so than mid-class Berkshire where I originally come from. Some of the Valley Commando 'roiders may be a different matter.
Everyone knew about Gareth Thomas and no-one gave a toss about it other than it being a bit of gossip. He won two grand slams and scored 40+ tries, that's what they care about. They wouldn't care if he indulged in crack fuelled orgies with specially imported japanese midgets as long as he scored the winning try against England.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Ever lived in Wales? Men are men and don't tolerate that sort of thing
dear god. somebody make it stop.0 -
Lighten up. It was a joke. Sort of. My wife lived for three years in Caerphilly in the not too distant past and some of the attitudes of the people that lived there make the west of Ireland look progressive (which before you start is where I am from).
Once a player comes out in his prime and nobody notices, then there is tolerance. If Gareth Thomas had come out 10 years ago, he wouldn't have had the same career.
I think a lot of people on here read the Independent.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
Timoid. wrote:Lighten up. It was a joke. Sort of. My wife lived for a time in Caerphilly in the not too distant past and some of the attitudes of the people that lived there make the west of Ireland look progressive (which before you start is where I am from).
that probably has more to do with the fact that they were just plain idiots - as opposed to any uniquely 'Welsh' trait...0
