We must do more: racing unites behind desire to help LGBTQ community

Providing a culture within racing where the LGBTQ community feel comfortable and able to express their sexuality without fear of judgement or of a negative impact on their career must be achieved, key figures in the sport have emphasised.

In an interview with the Racing Post on Wednesday, trainer Mick Appleby spoke of being guarded about his own sexuality over concerns it could affect how he was seen by others, a situation he also believes was contributing to the hesitancy of some riders coming out.

He said: "I don't know if people have been aware I'm gay . . . it probably has stopped people sending horses to us, but that's up to them.

"I do know a few gay jockeys. A lot of people don't want to come out, and that's not just in racing . . . some people are just ashamed to come out. I think that's the case with some jockeys."

Mick Appleby spoke of being guarded about his own sexuality in Wednesday's Racing Post

A study published this year by David Letts indicated jockeys would take a generally positive view of a colleague coming out as gay, while research from LGBTQ campaign group Stonewall suggests more sportspeople being open about their sexuality had the potential to be "inspirational".

To date, only one rider, Jack Duern, has openly stated he is gay, a move he felt was ultimately detrimental to his career with opportunities quickly becoming more scarce.

Paul Struthers, PJA chief executive, urged all stakeholders to take a positive stance towards homosexuality, while outlining what he felt was a generally accepting attitude in the sport.

He said: "More certainly needs to be done. It is someone’s personal decision if they want to come out or not, but we in racing need to create an environment where they're comfortable doing that.

"Whether it's racing or anything else, the number of openly gay athletes is not a reflection of the actual number of gay athletes there are.

"One of the things from research is the worry people have about what the reaction will be if they did come out. What David’s research showed was that in terms of the reaction from the weighing room it would be almost entirely positive, but there remain concerns as to the impact on opportunities, as experienced by Jack.

"While racing exists in its own bubble on the whole it reflects wider society in many ways, and this area is no different. We can clearly still do more and the PJA is committed to working with the BHA and other stakeholders to make sure David's recommendations are followed up and implemented."

PJA chief executive Paul Struthers has called for a positive stance towards homosexualityCredit: Edward Whitaker

Greater focus has been placed on diversity in racing by the BHA, which last year launched the sport's first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. Nevertheless, the BHA, which praised Appleby for his candidness, admits more must be done across the sport.

A BHA spokesman said: "It is always sad to hear about individuals who do not feel they can be open about their sexuality. It is an issue the sport needs to address and we are always grateful to individuals like Mick Appleby and anyone else who talks openly about this topic.

"It is essential that everyone who participates in British racing should feel comfortable being their true selves. The sport's Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan drew specific reference to this issue and recommended that the sport works with national campaigns to develop an environment in which everyone in the sport feels able and happy to be open about their sexuality.

"To this end, in the summer the entire industry came together to support the national Pride campaign. This was just one step on the path towards a more inclusive and diverse industry and there is more to be done, but the level of support that the campaign received across the entire sport was extremely encouraging."

The Letts study indicated the number of non-heterosexual jockeys in Britain is broadly in line with that of the national population, most recently recorded at six per cent.

Jack Duern is the only rider to have openly stated he is gayCredit: Getty Images

Robbie de Santos, Stonewall director of sport, suggested racing would benefit from more participants being able to open up about their sexual orientation.

"We know from our research that attitudes in sport need to change before everyone feels free to be themselves," he said. "One way of creating change is to have more visible role models. People like Jack Duern can inspire young LGBT people by letting them know they are not alone, can feel proud in their identity, and help create a more inclusive culture.

"We've already seen some support from the British Equestrian Foundation, Great British Racing, the BHA and the Jockey Club. The more support there is, the easier it will become for athletes to be open about their sexuality, if they choose to."

Read Lee Mottershead's powerful interview with Mick Appleby by clicking here