Gareth Thomas has won Gaydar Radio's
Celebrity of the Year 2012 award, beating out such notables as Lady
Gaga and Neil Patrick Harris.
Gaydar Radio listeners also picked
Thomas over television personalities Alan Carr and Graham Norton.
The 37-year-old Thomas, who retired
from rugby late last year, publicly acknowledged he is gay in 2009,
becoming one of only a handful of professional athletes who have come
out gay during their careers.
Speaking to Gaydar Radio hosts Neil
Sexton and Debbie Ryan, Thomas credited having a strong support
system for giving him the strength to come out.
“The only reason I survived with
coming out, and the only reason I got to where I am now by coming
out, was I had the foundations that I needed. You can't please –
especially as a sports person – you can't please everyone all the
time. So you have to be honest with the people that support you.
Once I had the foundations of my parents, my two brothers and my
closest, closest friends I knew that I had the strength to take on
anyone then. But a lot of people don't have that support network.
And unless they have that support network, then it's a tough thing to
go on. So my advice is to find that support network,” Thomas said.
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