Nike

This week brought the news that Nike have committed to sponsor the very first US professional sports person to come out. On the surface, this looks like a wonderful idea and help tackle homophobia in sport, and it will do to an extent.

Gareth Thomas has done a wonderful job in being an openly gay role model in Rugby League and Rugby Union. He has helped show that gay men are not all camp and feminine (not that there is anything wrong with gay men that are). When he came out, it was reported that he lost sponsorship from Reebok as a result and maybe sponsorship is a factor preventing sports people from coming out so Nike's decision may well help remove this barrier.

I think a lot of people, including LGBT people, may ask why it is important for famous sports people to come out. Sexuality is a private issue and it is no ones business. I tend to disagree. First, people link sexual orientation with the act of sex and see it as a private thing. I have to say sexuality is more than just sex, there is a whole range of values and experiences LGBT people have which straight people do not. Not having openly gay and lesbian sports people across a range of sports reaffirms the stereotype that sport is heterosexual.

Stereotypes can be one of the biggest factors for LGBT people. If we look at the athletes that came out before the Olympics, female participants were in more 'masculine' sports, such as football. Gay  participants were in more 'feminine' sports, such as dressage (a.k.a. horse mincing) and diving. Gareth Thomas is the exception and he is the only one. I hope that the Nike sponsorship commitment will start the ball rolling for others to follow.

There is a wider issue of homophobia in sport which is isolating young gay and lesbians from participating in sport. The recent Active People survey in England showed that gay men are one of the most sporting active groups but most of the activity occurs within a gym setting - a big part of gay culture. However, the barriers of LGBT sport are not being recognised by the sporting establishment here in the UK. Despite starting to ask about sexual orientation, UK Sport and Sport England make no reference to it on their website and Pride Sports does not receive the same funding that other Sport Equality groups receive. The same attitude can be applied with most governing bodies of sport.

Various surveys have found that LGBT people are put off by organised sport because of their experiences at school. Homophobic bullying, especially amongst gay and bisexual men, is rife within the school system. Being gay in PE can be much more visible in school than being gay in geography.

That is why I am cautious about the Nike deal. Yes, it may lead to one or two sports stars finally come out which can become positive role models for young LGBT people. However, it does not fully tackle the real issue preventing the LGBT community from fully taking part. At present, we have a large volume of gay and bi men using running machines, rowing machines and static cycling machines within the gym, and not representing their country - because they grew up in a sporting environment which told them they are not the right kind of men for sport.

My other concern of the Nike deal is that it will just result in another 'celebrity' where it is about him or her rather than building bridges and allowing other LGBT people to take part from an early age. Having a role model would be great but a lot more done to tackle homophobia in sport and make sport more inclusive.