LGBT Sport Podcast at 200: Jessica Andrade, Gareth Thomas, Jack Dunne and other memorable episodes – BBC News
There was the cricket match that made history. The 9/11 hero who inspired the world’s largest amateur rugby tournament. The Formula 1 world champion who spoke out as an LGBTQ+ ally. And the elite referee who shared his story publicly for the first time.
The LGBT Sport Podcast has covered all of those stories – and many, many more – over its 200 episodes. So picking out its most memorable moments is quite a challenge.
When we published our very first podcast on 25 September 2018, with a basic and only a general understanding of how to get episodes into a person’s feed, we weren’t sure how long we would be around for.
Yet in the three years since, we’ve covered a wealth of stories across more than 40 sports.
The Paralympic gold medallist, the F1 champion and the elite referee
We looked at the world’s first match between two LGBTQ+ cricket teams, the important work in tackling homophobia by inclusive football fan groups, and the first transgender athlete to represent the United States in international competition.
And we had Sebastian Vettel appear as a guest to tell us why he was speaking up for LGBTQ+ rights.
We’ve spoken to Paralympic gold medallists like Britain’s Lauren Rowles, heard what it’s like to win a World Cup from Wasps and England great Claire Purdy, and discovered how top sports journalists got their break in the industry.
We’ve taken the show on the road to training sessions and Hall of Fame inductions, and tried to get to grips with issues such as mental health and discrimination.
We’ve given officials such as top rugby league referee James Child the opportunity to share their stories for the first time, and leading British athletes such as trampolinist Luke Strong a chance to introduce their authentic selves to a global audience – and through it all, we’ve had a tremendous amount of fun.
‘Having these stories out there is so powerful’
When we started the podcast, our only certainty was a nagging feeling that now was the right time to give a show like this a try.
A lot has changed since that first episode, but the spirit of the podcast remains the same.
Each guest is involved in sport at some level, and has a link to the LGBTQ+ community.
We chat about their life and career, and about their sexuality or gender identity as well.
And along the way, we try to show members of the LGBTQ+ community who have historically felt unwelcome in sport that yes, it really does have a place for you.
As one online reviewer put it: “You are making a big change, and having these stories out there is so powerful.”
So whether you’re just discovering us or have been with us for the long haul, here are five of the most memorable moments from the past 200 episodes.
The One with Jack Dunne
Jack Dunne is no ordinary rugby player.
Standing 6ft 7in tall and with a passion for astrophysics, the Leinster forward appeared on the podcast in June to talk publicly for the first time about his bisexuality.
The Irishman was already out to his family and team-mates, and had been working quietly with the ShoutOut charity to support young LGBTQ+ people in Ireland.
In a special show timed to coincide with Leinster’s Pride panel, Dunne explained why inspiring other people who might be in the same position had convinced him to share his story.
“I kind of realised [I was bisexual] when I was maybe 16 or so,” Dunne recalled.
“Eventually, I think I was in sixth year and I told one or two people and they took it really well. So I was like: ‘You know what? I’ll just tell everyone.’
“And who knows? Maybe there are some kids across the country that could use a role model as well.”
The One with Jessica Andrade
Coming out can be scary – even when you’re one of the toughest women on the planet.
Jessica Andrade is a former UFC women’s strawweight champion, and has won more fights than any other female fighter in the competition’s history.
But in a powerful episode looking at the legacy of the promotion’s first match between two out fighters, the Brazilian summed up the internal struggle that many LGBTQ+ people wrestle with before coming out.
“My biggest fear in life was that my mom wouldn’t accept me,” admitted Andrade.
“But after she did, everything else was not a problem. Now I’m really proud to be an LGBT role model, not just to athletes but to everyone.
“You can come from poverty and reach the sky. If you love who you are, you can do anything.”
The One with Queer Surf Club
Imagine finding a sport that you love, then having to hide who you are to do it.
That’s what happened to Frazer Riley and his boyfriend when they signed up for surf lessons on a trip to Morocco.
“We didn’t realise it’s illegal to be gay there,” Riley recalled.
“We had to pretend to be cousins. So I was doing this incredible sport that I loved, but was worrying about whether I was cheering camply or coming across as effeminate.”
The pain of having to hide his identity inspired Riley to start Queer Surf Club – a space where LGBTQ+ surfers can be themselves, in and out of the water.
Members have held sessions across the UK – and in an episode recorded at a Cornish beach, Riley told how the club was helping to change the perception of what it means to be a surfer.
“I remember getting my first direct message from an individual in Australia,” he said. “They weren’t out, but they knew they’d been gay for a certain amount of years.
“They’d never believed they could be their real self in surfing, but said we’d given them hope.
“So even if we’ve just helped that one person be comfortable, it’s enough.”
The One with Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas’ story was well-known by the time the former British and Irish Lions captain appeared on the podcast.
The dual-code rugby legend had come out as gay in 2009 – and then, a decade later, posted a video on social media, announcing that he was living with HIV.
But knowing what the Welshman had gone through didn’t make his words any less impactful.
“I knew nothing about HIV [when I was diagnosed],” Thomas told us.
“I thought all the strength would drain away from me slowly, without me being able to get it back. I thought I was going to live a very sad existence where I would gradually get weaker and weaker, paler and paler, until I died.”
After the success of Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin, Thomas was determined to use his platform – and the podcast – to champion the progress that had been made in tackling the virus, and to challenge the stigma that stills exists around it.
“I take one tablet a day and am undetectable, which means you can’t trace the virus in my blood,” he said.
“Living with HIV in 2021 is just not like it was in the 1980s.”
The One on the Bingham Cup
Of all the stories we’ve told over the past three years, Mark Bingham’s is arguably the most powerful.
A gay rugby player with a passion for opening the game up to everyone, Bingham was aboard United Flight 93 when it was hijacked by terrorists on 11 September 2001.
The plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board.
A 2004 report commissioned by the US government found that Bingham was one of the passengers who had led an on-board revolt that was on the verge of taking control back when the plane went down.
In spite of their grief, Bingham’s team-mates – along with his mother Alice – were determined to honour his legacy.
In 2002, the Bingham Cup was born – and in the years that followed, the event grew into a sporting spectacular that is now the world’s largest amateur rugby tournament.
Tom Crotty, a member of the Sydney Convicts team that won the Bingham Cup in 2018, explained to us what made it so special.
“We were all in the shed before that final game, and our coach asked us to take a moment to reflect on why we were there playing rugby,” Crotty said.
“And one by one, we went round and talked about our personal experience, including some of the boys who were straight about why they’d personally decided to fight side by side with us.
“It’s an amazing feeling to go to an international event and be bound to these people from all across the globe, not only by your love for the sport, but also by who you are.”
The BBC’s LGBT Sport Podcast marks 200 episodes this week. You can hear new shows every Wednesday on BBC Sounds.