I denied who I was when spotted in gay club – that’s very sad, Valerie Mulcahy reveals… – The Irish Sun
GAA star Valerie Mulcahy has told how she denied being herself in a gay club while grappling with her sexuality.
The Cork legend, who has ten All-Ireland medals, has been ‘out’ for several years — but found it hard to come to terms with the idea that she wasn’t straight.
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She explained: “I grappled with my sexuality at first, trying to figure that out.
“I was questioning myself, ‘am I really gay? I don’t look like the other gay women that I’ve seen out there’.
“That kind of baffled me a bit. And then I probably didn’t want to be gay.
“First of all, I didn’t want to go into gay clubs because I didn’t want to be recognised or dealing with all that.
“But I was there one night and someone came up to me and I actually denied I was Valerie Mulcahy, which is very sad.”
Looking back on it now, Valerie, 39, said: “I was just embarrassed, or I didn’t want it getting out.
“And I guess it comes back to if you are not comfortable in yourself, or maybe if you are still unsure, or questioning things.
“I wasn’t comfortable in myself and that took quite a bit of time.”
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And when she did come to terms with it, Valerie she worried about how her family would react — so she told her brother Sean first, who was out of the country.
She said he had the “best” reaction and told her he loved her no matter what.
And the secondary school teacher said she also had a great reaction from her parents.
FAMILY SUPPORT
She told RTE’s The Meaning of Life: “Deep down I knew it’d be fine because I’ve very loving parents, very supportive in every way.
“I was worried my dad, who was so proud of me and loved saying that he’s Valerie’s dad.
“I sensed that he wouldn’t disown me but he’d be a bit embarrassed by me. But you know what, that hasn’t happened, and he’s still as proud as ever.”
She added: “Now thankfully I can say I wouldn’t change who I am, I’m happy to be gay, a far cry from when I pretended I wasn’t me.”
Valerie was one of the main voices for the marriage equality referendum, which passed in 2015.
Shortly after the legislation went through, she married her partner of six years, Meg Blyth. But they have since divorced.
She said: “There’s obviously a huge loss there, especially in gay relationships, there’s huge closeness and friendship as well. Thankfully I am very happy and in a new relationship.
“I look back and sometimes I feel embarrassed (to be divorced), especially having spoken about marriage equality and fought for it but I think I’ve learned to just be OK with it.”
Valerie has since moved on with Olympian Nicci Daly.
She said of her new partner: “She’s very entrepreneurial and has a great interest in motorsports and does a lot for empowering girls.”
- The Meaning of Life with Joe Duffy airs tomorrow at 10.25pm on RTE One.
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