FORMER CANOEING CHAMP IS GAY, HAIRY, AND PROUD

Matt Lister stripped down and told all to UK’s Attitude magazine.
From: Bear World

 Former Canoeing champ and Team Great Britain member Matt Lister is Attitude’s newest cover man, alongside Laith Ashley. Lister came out when he was 20 and opened up to the publication about his experience.

 “I didn’t want to come out while I was in school because I was already bullied for being a fat, spotty kid and I was bigger than everyone and I was hairy. I may as well have just worn a target. I didn’t want to add another thing to that pile, so I just waited till the last year of school, when I was in the sixth form.”

Lister has since become a LGBT Athlete Ambassador and model.

“I would never shame someone for not coming out because it’s a personal choice and it’s a difficult thing to go through, but I feel as if it’s a necessity for the LGBT community because you’re in the public eye. People are watching you, even people who aren’t involved in sport that maybe want to get into it, but they don’t try because they think it doesn’t fit them.”

Check out a behind the scenes video below and the full story here.