To me, pride is bravery drawn from community. Sport still seems to be a place where homophobia is seen as acceptable. At university, I had teammates make gay jokes at practice, teammates suggest that we should pretend the opposition were gay to hit them harder, and teammates use homophobic slurs in the group chat. There was one person I knew I could count on to have my back on the squad, and that was all I needed. Their support was what gave me the confidence to come out and resist if everyone else turned on me. When you have others standing with you, you find your courage. Whether it’s a Pride parade or just one friend you can call an ally, knowing you’re not alone makes all the difference.

James

Muddy York RFC, Toronto, Canadá