Dunne takes pride in changing of tides as numbers of openly gay pros continue to rise – Irish Examiner
Jack Dunne believes there will be far more openly gay male professional athletes in ten years’ time than there are right now.
It’s almost a year since the Leinster second row spoke about his bisexuality in a media setting for the first time and, while not a household name in rugby circles, it was still a rare enough scenario to make headlines both here and abroad.
He believes that will change as more people follow suit.
“You look even in recent years there has been lots of male professional athletes coming out across the world. You have Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels in football. Then in America you have guys like Carl Nassib and RK Russell.
“Ten or 15 years ago there was no-one,” he explained. “I know it’s still only single digits in team sports but it is changing fast and I would be really optimistic that in ten years it would appear to reflect society more.”
What’s clear is that there are countless male sportspeople competing at the top level who are gay or bisexual but feel the need to keep that fact under wraps. It’s no surprise given the homophobic culture that dominated locker rooms for so long.
This is changing as well. Dunne is still only 23 but the anecdotal evidence he hears from men younger than him suggests that tolerance levels have only increased since he left school five years ago and that’s another reason to be hopeful for the future.
“It is probably at younger, teenage dressing-rooms that people are forced out of the sport because they think there is no place for someone like me in it. They never get the opportunity to graduate on to the next level.
“So that is probably why there are less (gay athletes) but it couldn’t be possible statistically (that there aren’t more). It would just be too strange but that’s probably one reason why there would be less.”
Dunne told his own family and friends about his sexuality when in his late-teens and is clearly comfortable in his own skin, but a major reason for bringing his story to a wider audience was the help and encouragement it might offer others.
His social media accounts tend to light up with messages from youngsters thankful for his openness whenever he gives interviews like these so a role with Aviva Ireland’s #LaceUpWithPride campaign was a no-brainer.
Less straightforward was his decision to cut his ties with Leinster and commit to Exeter Chiefs as of next season but he is excited about the opportunity to make the switch and bank more game time with a club that is losing a couple of locks this summer.
He will be joined by Leinster teammate Rory O’Loughlin while Sean O’Brien, with whom he played for the Ireland U20s, has been there a year already but there is always a degree of trepidation when switching one club for another.
The Leinster dressing-room has always been an accepting space, one where his sexuality has never been an issue, and he has no qualms about anything in that regard now that he is moving to a new environment.
“I try not to be too pessimistic about my move. I am nervous enough already! No, it wouldn’t be a big concern for me because I know the Premiership has had a lot of campaigns trying to stamp put homophobia and the like.
“So I’m not too nervous about it. By all accounts there is a very good culture down in Exeter and by all accounts it is a very accepting place for all types of people so I’m not nervous about it. Looking forward to it.” The hope is that there will come a time when none of this is deemed a talking point and there will be no need for the likes of Dunne to stand up and act as role models, but recent attacks in Dublin show how far away that day remains.
“It would be great if there was no need for it but you see the news and there are still bad things going on, even in Ireland. We like to say that we are really progressive and most people are but there is still a small minority that aren’t so there is still a need for it.”