Gareth Thomas is arguably one of the most prolific and famous LGBTQ+ figures in British sport.

As well as his impressive and record-breaking rugby career, including captaining the Welsh national team, Garrett was also praised for raising awareness of Stone’s identity, mental health and HIV condemnation.

Rugby professionals have their latest starts partnering with Ford for a new video series, which aims to combat discrimination in the typically male-dominated industry.

“Tough talk is providing a safe place where they feel like they can sit with people and see the issues around them in a very macho and sometimes toxic male environment,” she explains. ..

“What we’re trying to do is nurture the culture of this industry with 21st century thinking and 21st century living, because culture can confuse people and undermine their credibility. And try to make changes. And to To be successful, you need a diverse work environment, you need people who can be genuine, and you need people who are the best version of you.

To celebrate Pride Month, how Britain introduced the world of ‘dreams’ before Queer as Folk came out, why it was a time of ‘addiction’ and ‘disturbance’. I told Garrett if it worked. And praise of him to Jake Daniels in Blackpool…

Who was the first strange person you remember?

I felt like I was hiding from a lot of cult LGBT people when I was growing up, because I was afraid I wouldn’t sin in solidarity. So I kind of hid it.

But someone I’ll say right now is H. Watkins of Steps, my very good friend. He’s probably not what people think he is. [I would say]Because I wasn’t the one who grew up. He is younger than me! It sounds very weird because I think people like Peter Thatcher and Ian McKellen think.

But for me, he has the same life experience as me. He is from the same area and always mentions who he is and is very active in fighting for the rights of LGBT people in the community and in the areas that I know.

What was the first LGBTQ+ TV show or movie you remember?

Oh my words, okay, I wasn’t there at the time, but I remember seeing Queer As Folk when it first came out about 20 years ago. And that was the idea of ​​the world that I explored and dreamed of being there. It was a very exciting moment.

He crossed national borders to attract people’s attention and let people talk about what life is like in this society. I don’t know if he was scared or excited by this possibility. “If you dare to open the door, it is on the other side of the door.”

What song do you associate with your performance?

The Masonry remix is ​​Eurythmics “Here Comes the Rain Again”. When I joined a gay club, I played for the first time, so I always remember it.

The reason is that it was the first time I really saw someone who didn’t care about other people’s thoughts. For the first time in my life, I stood there, looked around and felt that I was truly free. When I heard this song, I remember seeing people laughing, seeing people holding hands, and seeing people who weren’t afraid of themselves.

What is the last LGBTQ+ show or movie that has influenced you?

It must be a sin without a doubt. For me, It’s A Sin was addictive and I wanted to watch it, but it was also quite annoying. I am living with HIV myself and I know a lot of people from this generation in my current job. They talked to me, but the reality that brought him back to life when I saw him play revived him much more.

I am really thankful for the fact that I can now live on medication for as long as I live now. But again, I felt very connected and helpless to those who died in horrible ways. They spent their entire lives in a room after spending time with people who were diagnosed, discriminated against, or didn’t want to have contact with them.

[Seeing] The reality of what happened and the connection to it, I wish I could do something at that time, but I realized that I can still do something. Not only did it motivate me, but it also gave me a sense of sadness that people had to move on.

I wanted to never go back to that time, so I asked everyone who heard the story to watch it. It is a society where it is easy to improve if you calm down or stop talking.

Who is your ultimate stone icon?

I loved Dennis Rodman very much when I was a child. He was a great athlete and a good basketball player, but he always pushed the limits. If he wakes up and wants to do it, he’ll wear a dress; he didn’t define her, he just felt like he wanted to use it. He had tattoos and piercings and I felt like he was a man who wasn’t ashamed of his identity. And if his identity didn’t match what someone else thought he should be, that was someone else’s problem, not hers.

I was a sports fanatic. He was a sports icon at the time, but I think he pushed the boundaries of what every athlete looks like, what they look like, what they wear and what they should say. It was a cult for me. He didn’t obey the rules, he didn’t break them, he just created his own.

Who cares about the future and who is like a stone in the eyes of the world now?

It appears to be player Jake Daniels. Somehow to my surprise, I read about his speech. It was a very bold decision. He is 17 years old and has just signed a professional contract. I was very immature at the age of 17, so showing this maturity and courage at such a young age makes him a positive role model for this generation and everyone else.

Now, successful or not, you can look in the mirror and say, “I’ve given myself every chance.” She wasn’t talking about failure or sexuality, so she might have wondered, “If it was real, would I be successful?” Under this pressure, with the fact that he wants to be in the center of this attention, he is willing to accept failures and successes and, after all, I think it is a very positive message for the future.

Why do you think pride is so important today?

There are too many reasons. For me, pride was not born out of the need to celebrate, but rather the need to fight for the right to exist without persecution as a gay man. We still live in a world of discrimination. In this world, no one can sit down and say that there is no discrimination against the LGBT community. There are still 69 countries where the existence of homosexuals is still illegal.

There is an extensive message of this festival and pride march that transcends borders and transcends communities. And it gives people hope. If I go to the pride, I will not go to celebrate my homosexuality, I will go [to celebrate] My right to exist without being prosecuted for this.

What is your message for the next generation of LGBTQ+ people?

Everyone will live their lives and be loved by everyone. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But I want the next generation to recognize that it’s good to hate you for credibility, but your version of what others think you should have is not good to like.

If you don’t let yourself be fooled by who you are, life will be much easier for everyone.

Check out the video below for a tough conversation between Garrett Thomas and Ford.