The typical male dressing room atmosphere is one reason why there is still a dearth of openly gay men in sport - that is according to Ger Brennan.
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, the All-Ireland winner explained his belief that despite there mostly being an absence of prejudice in dressing rooms, fears still exist.
They don't come out because there is a fear of getting the piss taken out of them; men being men we take the absolute piss out of one another a lot, but there are never any prejudices, certainly not within a team environment. I guess bullying is defined if and when the person on the receiving end of a joke doesn't see it as a joke and in that case you have to say, 'Sorry I didn't mean that' and move on and don't do it again.
Some people are more susceptible to maybe feeling that, because of insecurities. Generally any team that I have been involved in, we have really slagged each other in a very healthy and positive way - that keeps you grounded. There is a danger of saying stuff and no doubt I have said stuff, but I'd like to think they know me well enough to know I wouldn't intentionally go out to hurt anyone.
Famously, Brennan thanked both the girlfriends and boyfriends of his teammates in his captain's speech following St. Vincent's All-Ireland club final victory against Castlebar Mitchels in 2014. So, he likely has an awareness about what those who are not completely open regarding their sexuality are going through.
Brennan courted some controversy earlier this year when he came out in support of a 'no' vote in May's marriage referendum
Regarding this, Brennan feels there was unfair stigmatism attached to those who were usure about which way they were going to vote.
Picture credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE
