The documentary Playing With Pride was partly inspired by a 2015 study — “Out on the Fields” — the world’s first international study on homophobia in sport, which found that 58pc of Irish participants believe homophobia is more common in Irish sports than in the rest of society. It also states that 75pc have witnessed or experienced homophobia in sports, and three-quarters of Irish participants believed that youth sports were not safe and welcoming for LGBTQI youths.
The film has been created by social worker and ShoutOut volunteer, Domhnaill Harkin. In it, Harkin speaks with sports players including Jack Dunne (the first male Irish professional rugby player to come out as bisexual) and members of LGBTQI clubs.
The subject is of personal interest to Harkin: he grew up in rural Donegal and always felt out of place in sports environments.
“I found from my own experience that if you were any way different’... you were almost pushed out of it. You were too girly to do sports, or you were not ‘man enough’. As I grew older and realised I was gay and struggled to accept my sexuality, this feeling only intensified.”
He also believes there is a “lack of high profile and visible” LGBTQI athletes, especially in men’s sports.
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