BRITAIN: Gay Rugby Star Gareth Thomas Still Leading On Dancing On Ice

Gareth Thomas Dances On Ice

Openly gay rugby champion Gareth Thomas competed last night on Britain's Dancing On Ice. And he did so surprisingly well, at least one website is saying that he has emerged as the contest's front-runner.  

Gareth Thomas On Dancing On Ice

Openly gay rugby champion Gareth Thomas is a contestant in the new season of Britain's Dancing On Ice.  I can't find a clip of his performance (readers?) but you'll spot him in the opening sequence below. The first to be eliminated this week was Pamela Anderson, whose wardrobe malfunction has turned into a hot internet topic.

Gareth Thomas On Attitude Magazine

It's their Naked issue to draw attention to HIV testing. Does he have your attention? Source.

Mickey Rourke Pulls Out Of Gay Biopic

Mickey Rouke has pulled out of the biopic for openly gay rugby star Gareth Thomas.

The 59-year-old actor had reportedly taken a method approach to playing Thomas, even tearing a bicep by arm-wrestling with rugby players while on drunken nights out. Now though, according to Thomas himself, Rourke has handed in his notice and the producers are on the lookout for a replacement. Speaking to the Sun on Sunday, Thomas said: “I was talking to Mickey and basically we’re now talking to other big-name actors who could play the part instead.

Who should replace him?

BRITAIN: Soccer Club Cans Player For Nasty Tweet Aimed At Gareth Thomas

Openly gay rugby star Gareth Thomas is a cast member in the current season of Britain's Celebrity Big Brother. That prompted pro soccer player Lee Steele (left) to tweet: "I wouldn’t fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockedasshole." And that was the end of HIS career.

The club said its officials had met to discuss the comment last night and posted a short statement on the club website this morning. It said it had issued the following statement to the FA: “The Oxford City board have decided to release Lee Steele in view of his recent comment via social media which is considered seriously contrary to the ethos of the club.” Mike Ford, the club’s manager, told the BBC sacking Steele was the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his career, but that he had to “pay for his error of judgement”.

Rugby star and gay ally Ben Cohen issued a statement saying, "If you are a sportsman you're a role model and people look up to you no matter what division you're in." However Cohen stopped short of endorsing Steele's dismissal.

RELATED: Mickey Rourke will play Gareth Thomas in an upcoming biopic.

Photo Of The Day - Gareth Thomas

(Via - Towleroad)

Gareth Thomas - It Gets Better

Gareth Thomas On Ellen DeGeneres

After Elton points us to this clip of today's Ellen appearance by out rugby star Gareth Thomas. Mickey Rourke has said he'll have his front two teeth removed to play Thomas in an upcoming biopic.

Mickey Rourke As Gareth Thomas?

According to British tabloid The Sun, Mickey Rourke has signed on to play Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas in a movie about the newly out national sports hero.

The two met for dinner last week after Rourke had been a guest on Jonathan Ross' last BBC chat show. Their managers are now trying to work out a deal to make a movie based on the life of Wales's most-capped rugby union international. Oscar-nominated Rourke, 57 - a former boxer - is believed to have wanted to do a film about rugby for some time. But he did not have a suitable story until he read about full-back Thomas. Thomas, 35 - who last year became the first rugby union player to reveal he was gay - has since switched codes to play for Wrexham-based league side Crusaders.

Rourke is way too old to play Gareth Thomas.

(Via - The Advocate)

Rugby Club Fined After Fans Taunt Gareth Thomas With Homophobic Chants

A British rugby team has been fined £40,000 after its fans taunted openly gay star Gareth Thomas with homophobic chants.

The Yorkshire club was punished by the Rugby Football League (RFL) for the abuse Thomas received from its supporters at a March 26th match against the Crusaders. A statement from the RFL said: "Castleford were found guilty of unacceptable behaviour, of breaching the RFL's respect policy, of misconduct by their supporters and of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the sport. "The tribunal was chaired by his Honour Judge Rodney Grant, who criticised the club for failing to take steps to stop the homophobic chanting, for failing to identify the perpetrators, for failing to challenge the chanting and for their failure to undertake a meaningful inquiry afterwards." The March game was Thomas' second for the Crusaders after he switched from rugby union to rugby league.

The team is expected to appeal the fine.

Friendly Voices - Ben Cohen

"I have had numerous e-mails, mainly from young men who have been inspired by me in some way, and so have had the courage to come out to their friends and families and so live fulfilled lives. I have also been told that I have helped parents come around to the fact that their son is gay. I have no idea how I have managed to do that, I have to confess – but if my openness has done that then it seems that it is the right way to be." - British rugby star and calendar man Ben Cohen, speaking to Compete Magazine. Cohen praises fellow rugby star Gareth Thomas for having come out and says that it's time for gay players in other sports to do the same.

Openly Gay Welsh Rugby Star Gareth Thomas On Homophobia In The UK

As part of the International Day Against Homophobia, Britain's ITV aired Afraid To Be Gay, a documentary on homophobia co-hosted by Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas, who rocked the UK's sports world when he came out last December. Thomas was recently cited by Sports Illustrated as the world's only openly gay male athlete currently competing in professional team sports. Watch the below clips as the show examines Thomas' coming out, the attitudes of his teammates, fans, and British people on the street.

Out Rugby Star's Wife: I Forgive Him

Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas, his nation's most revered sports hero, came out publicly this weekend. In a lovely interview with the UK's usually not-so-nice Daily Mail, his ex-wife says she forgives him for cheating with men and is proud of him for coming out.

"I'm incredibly proud of him for coming out and if anyone thinks any less of him because of it, then they are stupid. I know it was a massive relief when he told me, his family and close friends three years ago, and it will be even more of a relief now that everyone knows. He is now free to be who he is and I, and everyone else who knows and loves him, am happy for him because he is a very special person. I don't feel angry, embarrassed or humiliated, nor do I regret marrying Gareth for a second. I know with all my heart that he adored me as much as I adored him on our wedding day, and I had the most fantastic years of my life with him. It would be easy to wallow in self-pity and dwell on the negatives, but I am a positive person and I'm grateful that he loved me so much he had to tell me the truth because he felt I deserved better. He released me and in doing so he released himself."

Gareth Thomas is the most-winning and publicly adored sports star in Welsh history. His coming out is the Welsh equivalent of having Derek Jeter or Michael Jordan announce they are gay. And he is still playing. Amazing.

RELATED: Check out AfterElton's great photo gallery of Gareth Thomas.

Rugby Star Gareth Thomas Comes Out

Another major sports hero has come out. Yesterday Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas, a national icon and one of the most praised players of the sport, announced that he is gay.

Rugby star Gareth Thomas has said he hopes coming out publicly will "send a positive message" to the sport. The 35-year-old wants young gay people, particularly those with aspirations in sport, to be reassured after he became the first high-profile player to announce he is gay. The former British and Irish Lions and Wales captain, a supporter of the children's charity NSPCC, said: "If it makes one young lad pick up the phone to ChildLine, then it will have been worth it." Thomas said he became aware of his sexual orientation at the age of 16 or 17 but could not accept it and feared it would affect his playing career. He told the Daily Mail he was "anxious about people's reactions" but "just couldn't ignore it any more". The rugby star, Wales's most-capped player, said he realised in summer 2006 that he could no longer live a lie. He told his wife, Jemma, that he was gay and admitted cheating on her with male partners.

Thomas, who plays for Cardiff Blues, said he felt like his life was "falling apart" as his four-year marriage broke down. The star recounted to the paper how he cried in the changing rooms of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, after representing Wales in November 2006. He later came out to coach Scott Johnson, who advised he speak to a few of his international colleagues for support. Thomas said: "He told two of my team-mates, Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams, and as I sat in the bar waiting for them, I was absolutely terrified, wondering what they were going to say. "But they came in, patted me on the back and said: 'We don't care. Why didn't you tell us before?' Two of my best mates in rugby didn't even blink an eyelid." The Welsh Rugby Union and the Cardiff Blues backed Thomas after his decision to come out.

RELATED: In October, Irish hurling champion Donal Og Cusack came out.