Members of Australia’s national field hockey team have sported rainbow socks to mark Pride month and support a gay teammate.
Davis Atkin was accidentally outed as gay to his coach at the University of Canberra in 2021. Now, he told: “I said to the boys this morning that I really appreciate everyone being as inclusive as they are, and this was as simple as wearing socks. It paves the way for other people to follow that journey as a high-performance athlete.
Atkin also said: “Being able to run out on to the pitch with Pride socks together as a team was something truly special. The inclusivity, the support and the joy in this group made it all feel surreal".
“You can’t be what you can’t see, and even something as simple as rainbow socks can be a powerful sign to someone out there that they are seen, valid and belong,” he added.
This support is very important when a quarter of LGBTQ+ people do not feel welcome during live sporting events, according to research commissioned by Stonewall.
Happy pride at sports also!!!
Davis Atkin is doubly proud
Dream! I'd have been a soccer player if I were not gay. I'm already 31, and 15 or 20 years ago, being homophobe was the normal way to behave. The prejudice was installed in my head in a way that I cannot belive that things would be different now. I can't believe I would be welcomed by the straight guys that play soccer. Maybe they wouldn't discriminate me, but I'm pretty sure they would avoid me. Only gay ppl know what I'm talking about
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