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Sport should be ashamed over gay fears - McKellen
Actor and gay campaigner Sir Ian McKellen attacked the sports world today, saying it should be "ashamed of itself" for its lack of understanding about homosexuality.
He claimed the lack of acceptance made macho stars into "little shrinking violets" because they feared fans on the terraces would barrack them if they came out.
In an interview to be broadcast by Radio 5 Live's Tony Livesey tonight, he said sport was not keeping pace with the rest of the world.
His comments come just weeks after Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas revealed that he is gay but had hidden his sexuality for many years from all but his closest colleagues.
Thomas's admission was highly unusual for a sports star and campaigner Peter Tatchell pointed out that statistically it was quite likely that as many as 50 professional footballers in the UK were gay.
Sir Ian said in the interview, to be broadcast at 10.30pm: "The sports world should be ashamed of itself. It's full of all these macho men and strong women who go out and dedicate their lives...
"They're absolutely admirable people in many senses - but when it comes to the business of simply being honest about who they are, some of them become little shrinking violets because they're afraid, probably, of being booed from the terraces, and that must be a horrible experience and shame on people who do it.
"But it ain't going to stop someone being a fantastic footballer because they're honest about their private lives, is it? I don't believe so and the world is changing and sport, I'm afraid, is very slow to catch up."
Sir Ian, 70, first talked about his homosexuality publicly in 1988 during an interview with Radio 3.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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