'I think it's important to tell my own story' says openly gay Armagh footballer Mark Shields
Openly gay Armagh footballer Mark Shields was recently a guest speaker at the Gaelic Players’ Association (GPA)’s Pride Brunch to mark Gay Pride Month.
Shields is one of the longest-serving players on the Armagh panel, having made his Championship debut in 2013, and he came out as gay to his teammates 10 years ago.
The event was the first time that Shields had spoken about his experience in front of an audience, and he hopes that talking about it can help someone else who is struggling with their sexual identity.
“I think it's important to tell my own story of 12, 15 years playing inter-county football,” he told the GPA’s social media channel.
“And how I was seen or how my experience of coming through the ranks, being a senior inter-county player, in the male environment, I just think it's important to tell that story.”
Shields had nothing but praise for how he was accepted within the Armagh changing room, and he says that the use of homophobic language within a GAA changing room doesn’t exist anymore.
He also said that when he was going through his phase of uncertainty, having more support would have helped that decision easier.
“Yeah, I believe it would have,” said Shields.
“Culture is changing within the GAA, society is changing. There's no more language being used in the changing rooms now, that would have been hurtful in the past.
“It's been an excellent to have allyships and people advocating for it on social media and around the GAA setups now, and the GPA.
“It would have helped probably 10 years ago for myself, but now you can actually see it and I hope speaking out and telling my story will help that younger players, whether male, female, non-binary, to express themselves in the GAA environment.”