Jon Holmes

🇯🇵🏐🏳️‍🌈 Enjoyed reading the feature interview with Rui Takahashi, the first out gay Japanese male pro athlete, in Asahi Shimbun. Pride House Tokyo says: “Change should not depend on individual courage alone — federations and leagues need clear policies and support systems.” For @outsports.com #LGBTQ

🏳️‍🌈⚽️🏳️‍⚧️ “The 49 lives we lost that night will be carried on in our hearts, minds, and in our stadium forever. And the fight for visibility continues” - @ironlionfirm.bsky.social 👏 October is like a mini Pride Month in MLS, with two tremendous tifos last weekend. For @outsports.com #LGBTQfootball

🗓️ It’s International Pronouns Day, and in a NEW article, we’re with the Perth Parrots whose striking jerseys make a proud statement… 🦜 The floorball club’s players wear their pronouns on their sleeves - just one way in which they help to create an LGBT+ inclusive environment for all. 1/2

🚀 Brilliant long-range goal at weekend from Nacho Lago, currently the only out gay or bi footballer in a top-tier men’s league anywhere in the world. Cute how Nacho and his boyfriend Gonzalo interact on Insta. They seem so comfortable in their #LGBTQfootball visibility. 👏 Watch on @outsports.com

🏳️‍🌈🏆🏳️‍⚧️ The outstanding achievers in LGBTQ sports in London and the South East are celebrating their success at the Out For Sport Awards 2026. 🎉 It was a night of celebration in Shoreditch, as the winners in 11 categories claimed their trophies - we’ve got all the news… 1/2

🔴 October 16 is Wear Red Day in support of Show Racism the Red Card - the charity’s educational work is crucial in helping people understand the causes and consequences of racism FvH stands in solidarity with SRtRC which is celebrating its 30th anniversary year 👏 @srtrcengland.bsky.social 1/2

🗣️ "What we think could be done better is for the authorities to be more effective at educating people on the impact of this language... there also needs to be better evidence gathering." Jon from the Football v Homophobia campaign on the grassroots game, via @hitsradionews.bsky.social #FvH2026

🏆 NEW: The stars and unsung heroes of the thriving LGBTQ+ sports scene in London and the South-East will be honoured at Friday’s Out For Sport Awards. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ 🎾 Ryan Watson and his South London Smashers tennis club were big winners at the last edition of the Awards - he explains why they matter so much…

A new Human Rights Watch (@hrw.org) report asks how Youth Olympics host nation Senegal can be compliant with the Olympic Charter, with hundreds of people having been arrested there amid an anti-LGBTQ crackdown. The IOC says it has “full confidence“ in the Senegalese authorities. For @outsports.com

NEW: Incredibly, Luke Strong is going back to the World Trampoline Championships next month, having retired from the sport several years ago due to multiple severe injuries. He recently became the record 6-time British champion, in a Pride-themed leotard vest. 🤸‍♂️🌈 I spoke to Luke for @outsports.com

🗣️ “My #LGBTQfootball team helped to create the space for me to come out” - @charlgsport.bsky.social ⚽️🌈 🗣️ “I’m sure queer sports clubs will enable many more people to come out and find their tribes” - Craig Stephenson Two EuroGames Cardiff 2027 team members share their stories on Coming Out Day… 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Remember the Real Madrid YouTuber with 600,000+ subscribers who targeted Hector Bellerin with the worst gay slurs? Now Inaki Angulo could be prosecuted for his appalling homophobic outburst. For @outsports.com

England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The @footballvhomophobia.com campaign says it is “deeply concerned” by new statistics on homophobia in grassroots football and the lack of charging of perpetrators. FA data shows homophobia in grassroots football rose by more than 35% last season. sportsmedialgbt.com/grassroots-f...

NEW: Mal and Smasher are part of the brilliantly named "Super Smash Brollers" at East Midlands Open Roller Derby. In July, they put a ring on it and got engaged 💕! Their #rollerderby team has signed the #RainbowLaces Proud Pledge. To mark RL Day, here's an #LGBTQsports story with lots of love...

Happy #RainbowLacesDay 🌈! Great to set this back on the calendar - an awareness activation for a campaign that will always be significant to me… 📸 www.instagram.com/p/DeOrqPItqt... #RainbowLaces @stonewalluk.bsky.social @sportsmedialgbt.com

Football v Homophobia has issued a statement in response to the Football Association’s 2025/26 season Annual Grassroots Behaviour and Discipline Report. For the fourth consecutive year, the report shows a rise in serious case allegations related to sexual orientation. 1/2

😎🏛️🇮🇹 47 today, so feels appropriate to be at a UNESCO World Heritage site #pompeii

🇯🇵 Huge news in Japan, as volleyball player Rui Takahashi becomes the first athlete in the history of men’s pro sports in the country to come out as gay. For @outsports.com, Olympians Erik Shoji, Tim Koleto and Javier Raya have all shared their thoughts and sent goodwill messages to Rui… 🏳️‍🌈 #LGBTQ

If you haven't yet watched Kylie's AFL Grand Final pre-game show, go check it out! Thanks to Chris at @joy949.bsky.social's "GayFL" for giving me the queer lowdown on what happened at the MCG, and the awesome podcast he's created with his husband, Brendan. For @outsports.com #LGBTQsports #AFL

NEW: A summit for football fans who are #LGBTQ or allies is being held in Nottingham on Saturday. Martin Hyland, founder and chair of Proud Forest, tells the FvH Podcast that the event is “a great starting point” for anyone new to the game’s queer community… #LGBTQfootball @proudforest.bsky.social

great piece. man social media is a cancer themomoftheyear.substack.com/p/im-the-mom...

Our co-chair Cass joined host Jon Holmes on the latest Football v Homophobia podcast, alongside Martin from Proud Forest. 🔴⚪️⚫️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Hear about trans & non-binary fans, the new LGBTQ+ Supporters' Group Toolkit, and why 'visibility isn't enough' ahead of Stronger Together on October 3rd! pod.fo/e/65801d

NEW: The FvH Podcast returns, with an episode focusing on #LGBTQfootball supporters groups ahead of the ‘Stronger Together’ event in Nottingham on October 3. Cass from @rainbowdevils.bsky.social and Martin from @proudforest.bsky.social join Jon for a chat! 🎧⚽️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @prideinfootball.bsky.social

🗣️“People who are our friends, teammates and supporters have been detained or jailed... They are part of the closest circle around our groups.” The anti #LGBTQ crackdown in Turkey is impacting on queer sports clubs. For @outsports.com, I spoke to leaders of two teams who fear for their future.

Great to reflect on #WONDERKIDfilm with Rhys - a game-changing achievement by him, and a wonderful time in my own life.

NEW: 15 #LGBTQsports clubs from across London and the South-East have been shortlisted in the various categories of the Out For Sport Awards 2026. It’s the fifth edition of the Awards, and Out For Sport’s co-chair David Lionetti says the strength of nominations reflects the power of the community.

NEW: #BiVisibilityDay can be a reminder of just how rare the representation is for athletes from that part of our community. When Jack Dunne came out publicly in 2021, he'd already been welcomed by his teammates. He's still the only out male player in elite pro rugby. An @outsports.com interview

NEW: Could LGBT+-inclusive grassroots football leagues fit into the new FA-affiliated mixed adult football format? In its 20th anniversary year, the London Unity League recently considered this option - but it’s not being pursued, at least for now. Here’s a look at the reasons why... #LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈⚽️🏳️‍⚧️

According to its Editorial Policy, PN has "a clear editorial stance in favour of LGBTQ+ rights and diversity". But how clear is it, when they choose to report stuff like this, with headlines like this, and the descriptions of Strickland in the article are that he is "brash" and "controversial"?

NEW: The Freddie Mercury mural at Wembley, unveiled in the month of what would have been his 80th birthday, is a fitting tribute to the writer and singer of soaring sports anthems who also had sporting talents. In Bisexual Awareness Week, a look at Freddie’s life through an #LGBTQ sports lens… 🏓🌈

🗣️ “For both men to make a final really underlines the benefits of being yourself. It's not just that they went public, but that they’re making progress and achieving more as out players” - @jonhholmes.bsky.social on Brunold vs Reis & its #LGBTQ significance ✍️ @ozdale.bsky.social, The First Serve 🎾🌈

🥋 “This was a massive assault that carried the risk of severe physical injury." Timo Cavelius is being supported by his judo federation in Germany, after an opponent's assault left him with a broken jaw. Cavelius made Olympic history in 2024 as an out gay male judoka. For @outsports.com #LGBTQ

Subscribing gives you the chance to directly support independent #LGBTQ sports journalism, which is vital to our industry’s future. Choose a paid subscription, and you have the opportunity to help shape the output. Find out more here, and check out the Substack for news, opinion and storytelling…

🎾🌈 Joao Lucas Reis’ coming out in 2024 paved the way for Mika Brunold to do the same the following year. They’re both conscious of the impact they are making as gay men in pro tennis. Now in a twist of fate, the two men will contest an ATP Challenger Tour final in Austria… Why it matters. #LGBTQ

NEW: Hull City are getting tough on homophobic chanting, banning 3 fans for 3 years each, and sending out a clear warning ahead of Saturday’s game at Chelsea. A look at the media coverage shows a markedly mixed picture. How newsworthy is a story about discrimination these days? #FvH2026

Hull City fined £30,000 by The FA for homophobic chanting by a section of supporters in last season’s FA Cup tie v Chelsea, and issued with an action plan. #FvH2026

NEW: Because the topic of eligibility in sports has become so heated and divisive, it’s difficult to discuss it online without feeding the algorithm. Humans of Sport have been holding ‘adda’ sessions to encourage more impactful conversations. Here’s my take (please consider subscribing)… #LGBTQ

Kyle Tayler-Woolston is newly married and now publicly out as gay after his pro rugby club Newport RFC shared a wedding photo on socials (with the couple’s permission, ofc). I spoke to Kyle for @outsports.com about coming out to the world, a blessing in church for their marriage, and more. #LGBTQ

This week at Sports Media Guy: Five of the journalism lessons I'm going to be teaching my students from @pablo.show and his work on the Clippers story. sportsmediaguy.substack.com/p/journalism...

After years of projects and pilots, an FA-affiliated offering of mixed adult football has arrived this season. “Mix it up!” is the pitch. So with help from Red Stripe FC - reigning champions of the Hackney Powerleague mixed 7s competition 🏆 - here’s a closer look, for @sportsmedialgbt.com #LGBTQ

Hector Bellerin was targeted with gay slurs by a YouTuber and so-called journalist, in a livestream on Friday. The YouTuber posted something close to a non-apology video, before Borja Iglesias called out the homophobia. But Spanish football has been largely silent. For @outsports.com #FvH2026

Excited to bring @sportsmedialgbt.com to Substack! In my intro post, I’ve written about why it’s a logical step to be on the platform, and produce more digital content for our #LGBTQsports community. Please check us out on there 🙌

NEW | On fascism on the streets and the front-pages… STOP THE BLOKES With fascism on the streets of England again, The Times uses its front-page to deliver the same message beneath a thin veneer of respectability. brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/stop-the-b...

NEW: A world record smashed, and more #LGBTQ athletes winning medals at the World Championships - is the perception of #rowing as elitist and conservative being upended by its out-and-proud representation? Heading towards the L.A. Olympics, let’s hear it for queer rowers… For @outsports.com

New documentary promises a raw look at a trailblazing gay athlete’s extraordinary life story - www.outsports.com/2026/9/1/241...

🥾 Meet Jack Turner - a footballer from the Westcountry who’s planning an epic adventure… 🗣️ “I don’t expect one person walking 339 miles to solve homophobia in sport, but I do believe it only takes one person to start a conversation.” Read to learn more, and pls donate if you can 🙏 #LGBTQ #sports

🏳️‍🌈🏉🏳️‍⚧️ "This is a huge moment for our club, but also for inclusive rugby in the UK" - Will McCartney, chair of Leeds Hunters Rugby The Bingham Cup, one of the world's biggest LGBTQ sports events, will be held in Leeds in July 2028 and is set to bring thousands of visitors to Yorkshire. #LGBTQsports

NEW: The Dakar Youth Olympics begin in October. The Games will be the first-ever Olympic event held in Africa. But for #LGBTQ people in Senegal, the situation is grave, with arrests increasing. I spoke to two gay sportsmen who signed an open letter to the Senegalese President. For @outsports.com