Out British singer Elton John has
congratulated Keegan Hirst on his coming out.
Hirst publicly announced his sexuality
last week, making him Britain's first rugby league star to publicly
come out of the closet.
In an interview with the Sunday
Mirror, Hirst, a 27-year-old father of two, said that he told his
wife that he's gay a few weeks ago after realizing that she blamed
herself for their recent breakup.
“The support from my teammates and
other rugby league players has really surprised me,” he told the
Mirror. “It's all been positive.”
Among those offering their support was
John, who is raising two sons with his husband, filmmaker David
Furnish. Hirst told the Mirror that he received a call from
the singer.
“He said it's good that I'm breaking
down barriers and stereotypes,” Hirst
said. “I was a bit lost for words, but we had a good chat. He
was really supportive. It was a bit surreal. It's amazing that Sir
Elton John took the time to do that. It's incredible.”