Aisling Maher was at the launch of the Support4Drummo jersey swap fundraiser campaign this week and thinks it would be great if there were more GAA players like Blackpool’s Jake Daniels that came out during the week.
“In his interview, I think he made the point that he himself thought he was going to have to stay in the closet until he retired, and then he’d be able to come out after having retired,”
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“That in itself is a testament that there must be loads of young players coming up thinking that’s not something they can do, and they have to choose one over the other.
“I think it’s fantastic that young boys growing up can see somebody like him playing professional sport at a high level, and know that they can be their authentic selves, and be open and honest about who they are.”
Aisling Maher herself came out a few several years ago and went on to say;
“If you’re somebody who’s a younger player in the dressing room, who’s conscious of your own sexuality or questioning your own sexuality, then you’re going to hone in on every single word that’s said or used. Something like that could make you feel very uncomfortable in a setup,” she said.
“Education [is important] around actively unlearning those automatic behaviours or traits, that might seem harmless to a straight person, who would otherwise consider themselves an ally. Just education around the impact that could have on somebody who is listening to the words that you’re using or the things that are being said would just make younger players feel more accepted.”
Quotes via balls.ie