UK rugby star Ben Cohen says he's proud
of his status as a gay icon.
On Christmas Day, Cohen posted on his
Facebook page a photo of himself donning a rainbow chef's apron with
the words “Gay Icon.”
“AND PROUD OF IT …,” he noted.
The openly straight Cohen retired from
rugby in 2011 and launched the Ben
Cohen StandUp Foundation to combat homophobia and the bullying of
LGBT teens. Cohen is particularly interested in promoting greater
acceptance in the world of sports.
“The time is right now to retire from
rugby and follow my new passion,” Cohen
said in a videotaped interview with gay glossy Out.
“People have the right to be happy and, you know, to be loved and
love others.”
The first-of-its-kind foundation raises
funds to support those doing real-world work to stop bullying.
The foundation's 2013 calendar features
Cohen stripped down to his underwear. (A behind-the-scenes look at
the making of the calendar is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)