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"It's awesome to see so many athletes being true to themselves now," rugby player Sam Stanley wrote to Outsports' Cyd Zeigler earlier this year. "The thing for me was never that I wasn't ready it was more how to do it. I was going to put it on Twitter but my other half convinced me not to. I'm happy with how it's all gone."

The rugby player, who says he was partly inspired by rugby player Keegan Hirst coming out publicly, decided to tell his story in a profile in the Times of London this past Sunday (the full story is only available with a subscription). It seems particularly important for the fact that Stanley comes from a family of rugby players and had considered suicide since his sexuality conflicted with his career as “a macho rugby player,” according to the Times.  Born in Essex to an English mother and a father of Samoan descent, Sam's brother, Michael, is in the Samoa squad for the World Cup, and his uncle is Joe Stanley, the New Zealand center who was part of the All Blacks team that won the 1987 World Cup.

As Zeigler notes, Stanley revealed to the people in his sport that he's gay more than six montha go, and so far the response has been positive, writing in February:

"The reaction from my current and past team mates and coaches has been great so far. I've wanted to do this for such a long time but didn't really know how to and telling people one by one would have been way too stressful. ... I've not been happier and now this huge burden has gone I can move forward and finally be myself. No more lying. Feel liberated!!!"

Luckily, Stanley does seem to be fairly confident, as can be evidenced from his playing guitar nearly nude on his Instagram:

 

James Bay - When We Were On Fire. Loving this guy #jamesbay #music #guitar #singing #i'mnotnaked

A video posted by Sam Stanley (@samstannerz) on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:11am PDT

Pictured: Braeden Lange (left) and Andrew Goldstein.

The recent episode of SCFeatured on ESPN's SportsCenter is proof that visibility matters. 

When 12-year-old Braeden Lange was being bullied by classmates after coming out to his friends and family this spring, he was so distraught he considered suicide.

Desperate to help, his father started scouring the internet for resources, and stumbled across a decade-old ESPN profile of out former Dartmouth College lacrosse goalie Andrew Goldstein, the first openly gay male athlete to play in any American professional sport league. What happened next was the stuff of legend. 

A simple email from Lange's father to Goldstein, now a doctor and medical researcher in Los Angeles, sparked the conversation that eventually created Philadelphia's first Courage Game, a lacrosse contest intended to encourage and support gay youth while promoting equality.

SportsCenter's SCFeatured follows the fateful story that found a young man seeking acceptance discovering exactly that, thanks to a trailblazer who broke barriers before the young man was even alive. 

After playing in his first Courage Game, Lange's reflections summarized his change of heart. 

"I felt like almost unstoppable, because I had so many people standing with me, and just making me feel like I'm back to normal," the 12-year-old told ESPN. "That I still fit in. I'm still the same person."

The journalist who wrote the 2005 profile on Goldstein, which won a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding TV journalism at the time, says revisiting this particular story, with the latest development tied to Lange's journey, was a powerful experience. 

"As a journalist, you’re never the story," ESPN reporter Greg Garber told The Advocate. "You don’t want to intrude. And the inevitable hook of this story is that our story — the original story from 2005 — was the link between these two gay lacrosse players. We wouldn’t have proceeded if we thought there was a great danger to Braeden. And because the family says and believes that the piece we did 10 years ago essentially saved Braeden’s life, they want to return the favor. They want to put a story out there. This is the kind of piece that touches a nerve with people. I showed it to my parents and they cried, and I think a lot of people are going to have that reaction."

Watch a clip of Lange and Goldstein's intertwined stories below:

WATCH: How a 12-Year-Old Athlete Found Courage

Irish brewer Guinness has launched a new European advertising campaign featuring popular rugby players, including openly gay player Gareth Thomas. The heartwarming videos highlight the adversity each player has had to overcome to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Thomas's video is a tearjerker that focuses on his personal struggle to keep his sexuality private. The famous footballer came out in 2009 telling The Daily Mail, "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player first and foremost. I am a man. I just happen to be gay. It's irrelevant. What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby."

From the clip's description on YouTube:

"Never Alone tells the story of how the former Wales captain’s greatest fear wasn’t the opposition he faced on the pitch, but the fear of rejection from everything he had known, because of his sexuality. The film celebrates the courage of Gareth, and most importantly, the empathy shown by his teammates when he came out, showing that even when he felt he was on his own and at his lowest point, he was always part of a team."

Guinness previously showed its support of LGBT last year, when it pulled its sponsorship of New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade over its exclusion of gay marchers. 

Watch the video featuring Gareth Thomas below:

Watch: Rugby Star Gareth Thomas Talks Coming Out in 'Never Alone'

Pictured: Members of the Nashville Grizzlies

Earlier this year International Gay Rugby (IGR) signed an agreement with World Rugby to actively remove homophobia from the sport. Now IGR signed a "memorandum of understanding"— which "recognizes the right of any player, official, coach, and spectator to be involved in rugby without bullying, discrimination, or exclusion of any kind, and celebrates the differences that make its members unique"— with USA Rugby, the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. 

"USA Rugby is thrilled to be joining IGR in the advancement of diversity and inclusion throughout the sport of rugby, as well to eliminate homophobia from the game," Nigel Melville, CEO of USA Rugby, said in a statement. "Following in World Rugby's footsteps, we are steadfast in ensuring that rugby remains and continues to grow as a sport for individuals from all walks of life."

This is one step to improve acceptance of LGBT members in leagues and, as  Jeff Wilson, chairman of International Gay Rugby, stated: "The signing of this agreement is a great example of the commitment of USA Rugby to eliminating homophobia from the sport at all levels. We look forward to our continued partnership in creating a safe and homophobia free environment for all players, proving that rugby is the most inclusive sport in the United States and in the world."

The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament,  named after a gay American rugby player who died on United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, is the flagship global event for IGR Member Clubs. The next Bingham Cup will take place in Nashville, Tenn., in May 22-29, 2016. Hosted by the Nashville Grizzlies RFC, it's the first time it's ever been hosted in the mid-South and the first time it's been hosted in the United States since 2010.

USA Rugby Signs Agreement to End Homophobia

Michael Sam announced last month via Twitter that he was going to "step away" from football due to mental health concerns. Now, in a series of recent tweets, he says he's enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Missouri, his alma mater where he played for Mizzou.

I enrolled in Grad school this Fall to further my education, while I train to get back to football!!!

— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) September 16, 2015

Sam became the first openly gay man to be drafted into the NFL when he was signed by the St. Louis Rams in 2014, but then after a disappointing beginning, he was cut from the Rams' roster and never played. He did, however, end up appearing on Dancing With the Stars. Then, in May 2015, Sam signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He did play one game for the team in August — becoming the first openly gay man to play in the CFL— but announced his departure from the Alouettes a few days later.

Related | Michael Sam and the Draw That Changed American Sports Forever

President Obama congratulated the athlete last year after he made headlines, saying: “From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are.” When Sam was later presented the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs, he gave a moving speech, stating: 

“This year I have a lot of experience being part of something a lot bigger than myself. At times I've felt like I've been living in a massive storm, and I know the storm will end. I'm here tonight to tell you that the lessons I learned about love, respect, and being true to yourself will never leave me.”

Now, it's unclear what the future has in store for him.

Well, can you come up with a bet­ter explan­a­tion what the rugger-buggery is going on in this slightly creepy latex-laden ad for Lucozade Sport ‘Strictly for the Home Nations Only’?

Pegged to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Twickenham and star­ring big buff bearded England cap­tain Chris Robshaw and chums, I’ve watched it sev­eral times and it still makes no sense to me. Maybe it’s because I don’t fol­low rugby. Or maybe it’s because I’m not an advert­izing cre­at­ive who pre­tends to follow rugby.

The altern­at­ive explan­a­tions seem kinda kinky-gimpy. Are we meant to won­der what really went down in the back of that minivan when those norty Wallaby wan­nabes were cornered in the under­ground car park? By those strap­ping England lads wear­ing muscle-tees and expres­sion­less faces? All that bad act­ing should def­in­itely carry a trigger warning.

Yes, of course, the "straight" sub­lim­inal com­mer­cial mes­sage here, hedged around with mis­fir­ing humour, is that if you drink Lucozade Sport, a sug­ary "recov­ery drink," you will look like Robshaw. This is gen­er­ally the way the sup­ple­ments industry works — some ads more expli­citly than oth­ers. But I’m not sure that ‘accept­able’ mes­sage isn’t drowned out here by more disturbing/confusing ones. Masculinity as male imper­son­a­tion — a Mission Impossible. (This, after all, is what team sports fans are doing when they wear a rep­lica shirt.)

I admit I’m biased: the recent fash­ion for styled-beard-with-styled-hair looks to me like a hairy onesie, a mul­let mask. One that I ima­gine wear­ers peel­ing off at the end of the day, breath­ing a sigh of relief, apply­ing lots of wet wipes to their face and neck — and leav­ing it to soak in a bucket by the bed.

Mind you, I still totally would ‘wear’ Robshaw.

Read more at MarkSimipson.com

P.S. This web ad below from the same cam­paign is also very con­fus­ing — but who cares?

Before the Warwick Rowers, there was les Dieux du Stade. Now in its 16th year, the French rugby team's nude calendar has raised the bar for what has become culturally acceptable for mothers everywhere (and their single gay sons) to pin on their kitchen wall. 

For 2016, the national team and its guests really pulled out the big guns to make next year memorable, with the help of photographer Fred Goudon's titillating photography. Spoiler alert: There's a large chance that male full-frontal nudity will be involved this year again (actually, OhLaLa Mag already has some NSFW evidence that it will).

This year's cover star is team captain Sergio Parisse, who already headlined the calendar in 2009 -- and seems to be aging like fine (French) wine.

As per usual with Dieux du Stade, the calendar comes out complete with a must-see making-of video. Watch the teaser below, and click here to pre-order the calendar:

Watch: The 'Dieux du Stade' 2016 Calendar is Here!

In an interview with BBC's Victoria Derbyshire, British track athelete Tom Bosworth spoke publicly for the first time about his sexuality, adding that his friends, family, and teammates have known for years. The 25-year-old race walker currently holds three British Records and, with his sights set on Rio for the 2016 Olympics, is the first openly gay British Track and Field athlete. Therefore the decision to come out now, he says, is so that any public reaction can play out now, rather than closer to the Olympic Games. 

In the interview, which can be watched on BBC Sport, Bosworth paid tribute to British diver Tom Daley, who came out in 2013 and is now engaged to Oscar winning activist Dustin Lance Black, as proof that being openly gay in athletics is possible. When questioned about why he felt the need to come out, Bosworth said:

"To speak about this, being a sportsman, it's still news unfortunately." 

He said that he wants to "give the positive message that you can succeed in sport," adding:

"I definitely don't want ot just be known as the gay Track and Field athelete. I want to go and win medals, I want to go and compete at major championships and become an Olympian. But definitely, this is me, and I feel that I need to help and support other people."

Watch the candid interivew on BBC Sport.  

British Olympic Hopeful Tom Bosworth Comes Out

The West Hollywood Water Polo team is serious about its athletic training. But that doesn't mean they can't have a little fun. We love these exclusive shots by photographer Peter Bohler that captures them for a quick scrimmage at The Standard, Hollywood's pool.

Catch them all in their Speedo-clad action.

Of course, they also hit the showers afterward, so to see what happened when the guys relaxed (and the Speedos came off) check out OutTraveler's SLIDESHOW of the team.

Fun fact: since water polo is from England and is nicknamed WaPo there, we realized it would make the team the WeHo WaPo.

Today, millions will "go purple" to stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. In this new video, featuring athlete Michael Sam and Vito Cammisano (the former couple who remain friends), the two explain why they both personally support #SpiritDay.

As Michael Sam says: " I support spirit day because it is very important. As some one who was once bullied, I think its very important we tackle this issue."

Vito Cammisano says: "I support spirit day because I was bullied in middle school a lot and I never want any young person to feel like they can not be comfortable being who they are."

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The West Hollywood Water Polo Team dropped by The Standard, Hollywood and photographer Peter Bohler captured an evening of friendly competition, chiseled abs, and revealing water polo styles.

Olympic athlete and top-ranked, 24-year-old freeskier Gus Kenworthy is on the cover of ESPN  and he's telling the world finally that he's gay. He's the face of the X Games and is considered the "top freeskier on the planet." He won Olympic silver at Sochi, but that didn't mean that Kenworthy felt confident that his teammates or others would support him.

"I never got to be proud of what I did 
in Sochi because I felt so horrible about what I didn't do," Kenworthy says. "I didn't want to come out as the silver medalist from Sochi. I wanted to come out as the best freeskier in the world."

Although he says that he's known he was gay since he was 5, he only started coming out to his friends and family two years ago, according to the story.

"I was insecure and ashamed," he says. "Unless you're gay, being gay has never been looked at as being cool. And I wanted to be cool."

Kenworthy says he was always asked about girlfriends and part of the stress was that he wanted a "TV boyfriend, explaining: "That's actually something I want so bad -- a TV boyfriend."

(We also remember when he adopted those cute puppies, and everyone wanted to be his friend.)

It turns out this story by Alyssa Roenigk is part of ESPN's ongoing series exploring what it means to be an openly gay athlete at the moment and will include stories focused on Derrick Gordon, Megan Rapinoe, Chris Mosier, and others. ESPN The Magazine's "Being Out" issue on newsstands Oct. 30.

On Twitter, Kenworthy shared this:

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) October 22, 2015

And on Facebook, he posted this statement:

"Wow, it feels good to write those words. For most of my life, I’ve been afraid to embrace that truth about myself. Recently though, I’ve gotten to the point where the pain of holding onto the lie is greater than the fear of letting go, and I’m very proud to finally be letting my guard down.

"My sexuality has been something I’ve struggled to come to terms with. I’ve known I was gay since I was a kid but growing up in a town of 2,000 people, a class of 48 kids and then turning pro as an athlete when I was 16, it just wasn’t something I wanted to accept. I pushed my feelings away in the hopes that it was a passing phase but the thought of being found out kept me up at night. I constantly felt anxious, depressed and even suicidal. 

"Looking back, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. For so much of my life I’ve dreaded the day that people would find out I was gay. Now, I couldn’t be more excited to tell you all the truth. Maybe you’ve suspected that truth about me all along, or maybe it comes as a complete shock to you. Either way, it’s important for me to be open and honest with you all. Y’all have supported me through a lot of my highs and lows and I hope you'll stay by my side as I make this transformation into the genuine me - the me that I’ve always really been. 

"I am so thankful to ESPN for giving me this opportunity and to Alyssa Roenigk for telling my story to the world. I think about the pain I put myself through by closeting myself for so much of my life and it breaks my heart. If only I knew then what I know now: that the people who love you, who really care about you, will be by your side no matter what; and, that those who aren’t accepting of you are not the people you want or need in your life anyway. 

"Part of the reason that I had such a difficult time as a kid was that I didn’t know anyone in my position and didn’t have someone to look up to, who’s footsteps I could follow in. I hope to be that person for a younger generation, to model honesty and transparency and to show people that there’s nothing cooler than being yourself and embracing the things that make you unique."

Watch the ESPN interview below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world's greatest freeskier on what it's like being gay in his sport.

For most, Olympic diving is most closely associated with Tom Daley—the Brit who took bronze at London 2012—and with his easy smile, chiseled body, and Academy award-winning fiancé, it's no wonder. But as the British know, there's more to the Team GB diving team: there's Chris Mears.

Mears also competed at the Olympics in London, although he didn't win a medal, and he took gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year with his synchro partner Jack Laugher. The 22-year old will be returning to the pool at Rio 2016 next summer and, while his training schedule is intense, he's always found time for fun, whether it be DJing around the world or modeling for publications like Coitus, Gay Times, and Gayletter. Earlier this week, Coitus released a 2016 calendar, shot by Pantelis, and their site promptly crashed. The limited number of signed copies sold out in a flash, quickly followed by the full run. Thankfully, the online store has restocked. 

Mears' striking 12-inch scar along his abdomen is the remnant of an emergency surgery in 2009 after his spleen ruptured. The young diver lost many pints of blood and was reportedly on the verge of death. Even when he recovered, he was told he'd never dive again, and yet here he is. 

To purchase a copy of Chris Mears' 2016 calendar, visit Coitus'online shop. Act quick before they're gone (again)!

British Diver Chris Mears Strips For Steamy Calendar 

“My constant inspiration is the pressure of the ticking clock,” says Diana Nyad.“I can’t tolerate any unconscious moment. It’s not that I always have to be driving toward success, but I do refuse to let any waking moment be dull or not lived with gusto.” Indeed, it’s hard to imagine anyone who has grabbed life more vigorously than Nyad, who in September 2013, at the age of 64, succeeded in swimming from Cuba to Florida — her fifth attempt — becoming the first person to do so without the aid of a shark cage. Since achieving that feat, she has met President Obama and appeared as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, continuing to inspire the masses. The title of her newly published memoir, Find a Way, is the same motto that’s kept her motivated. “I don’t wake up each morning a woman, a senior citizen, a lesbian, a Democrat, a human rights advocate, an atheist, a pacifist, an animal lover, or an environmentalist,” Nyad says. “I may be all of these things, but above all I’m just a person who cherishes a bold journey — who refuses to let this one wild and precious life slip quietly by.” 

Photography by Ryan Pfluger at Milk Studios, new york, on October 6, 2015. Styling by Michael Cook. Hair: Naivasha at Exclusive Artists management. Makeup: Angela DiCarlo. Shirt and pants by Nike.

Abby Wambach has been playing soccer for 30 years, and she has scored more goals than any other person in the history of international soccer. But while she’s won Olympic gold, she could never call herself a World Cup champion — until this year. 

“I feel so lucky, because when I was first on the team, there were really no gay people,” the 35-year-old athlete says. “The girls were like, ‘No, we’re straight.’ They had long hair and ponytails.” And now you see this eclectic group of people from all different places, who are different colors, with different preferences. That’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

Wambach recently decided to retire from soccer at the end of 2015, but she’ll remain an advocate for equality in sports no matter what happens. “I hope the women, the studs that come behind me, get better pay and get treated a little more like the men,” she says. “We’re the ones who have been winning time and time again, but the men are still pulling more money. This has to change. We have to stop letting this happen. That’s part of what I want as my legacy.”

SLIDESHOW | Out100 2015

Out100: Abby Wambach

In a charming interview with England’s Evening Standard magazine, Tom Daley opened up about his relationship with filmmaker Dustin Lance Black and discussed everything from meeting for the first time, to the proposal, to having kids. 

As it turns out, popping the question, like many things in the 21-year-old’s life, was a bit of a competition. 

“There was a race,” Daley tells the Standard’s Susannah Butter. "I took the ring with me from London."

“I could never find a place where we were alone. It’s scary to ask, and you’re psyched up. Eventually I decided I had to do it and it ended up being in the house. Lance was surprised, but then he went and got the ring he’d bought for me. He’d been having a similar problem. We’d both told each other’s parents before flying out.”

As for his relationship, it started in Los Angeles. They met at a dinner when Daley was in L.A. for the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. 

“We started talking and that was it. I was nervous at the beginning — you really review texts: can you do an emoji, how many kisses or none? When I put my number in his phone I put ‘Call me’ with a wink face and then I was like, ‘Oh my God, should I have done that?’”

Black is 20 years older than Daley, who is now 21, so there were naturally some generational differences. 

“He wasn’t on Instagram; I taught him that,” Daley reveals.

For all his assistance with social media, Black repays Daley by applying his fake tan—“I wear it when I’m feeling pasty”—and puts up with Daley’s “experimental baking.” Like most of Britain, Daley’s a fan of The Great British Bake Off.

As for marriage, Daley says he’s doing for all the right reasons.

"Marriage is a sign of commitment between two people and something I always thought would happen when I was a kid. I didn’t know it would be with a man, but here he is."

It may be a long engagement, as the two haven’t even discussed firm wedding plans and, so far, they're waiting until after the 2016 Rio Olympics. “We haven’t thought about anything, not even the cake,” Daley says. 

RELATED | Tom Daley Teases 2016 Calendar

While Daley prepares for next year’s games, Black is helping in any way he can, including temporarily quitting some of the finer things in life. 

“My boyfriend isn’t drinking until after Rio, with me," says Daley. “It makes it a lot easier when someone’s doing it with you. Having a glass of something will be the first thing I do after the Olympic platform final.”

As for kids, Daley says they’d like to raise a family. Daley says he’d have to be the “bad cop” parent. “If the kid were to smile at Lance, he’d break.”

He’d also like to get the kid(s) into sports. “It teaches good discipline. I benefited from that—learning about structure, how to set goals and manage my time. It helps with everyday life.” 

The Illuminati is working overtime today. With Beyoncé's not-so-surprise appearance on Lip Sync Battle taking over the world—justifiably—the Beyhive is abuzz over their (our) queen gracing the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show, joining questionable headlining choice Coldplay.  

Related | 5 Acts We’d Rather See Do the Super Bowl Halftime Show Than Coldplay

Pepsi confirmed the good news to Entertaiment Tonight, which reminded us that Bey is featured on Coldplay's "Hymn for the Weekend" from their seventh studio album, Head Full of Dreams.

Coldplay will also be joined by pint-sized pied piper Bruno Mars. And considering this is the big 5-0 for the Super Bowl, there are sure to be other special guests.

Fingers crossed for a speedy Janet recovery.  

Usually when you go to a NHL game, the only man-on-man action you can hope for involves teeth getting broken. It’s not quite the stereotypical date night for most gay men.

It seems the infamous kiss cam has proven that to be an outdated standard. Of course we’re used to the ignorant joke of picking out two straight buds in the audience to make them feel uncomfortable. But it appears that these two guys in attendance at the LA Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs game were either really committed to the joke or the first actual gay kiss on an NHL kiss cam.

Pucker up and watch the kiss below:

ICYMI: NHL Kiss Cam Picked Out First Gay Couple

Pro freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy joined Conan to chat about his coming out journey. Believe it or not, the Olympic athlete almost gave his then-boyfriend a big smooch on live television at the Sochi Olympics. But…that didn’t quite happen.

Watch the endearing story below: