Kevin Penrose now thriving in the GAA world and beyond after coming out as gay

RTÉ News​

a day ago

Kevin Penrose (29) is a content creator, a footballer and an openly gay man. He plays for his childhood club Aghyaran in Tyrone, despite now living in Meath.
When asked why he doesn't make his life easier and transfer somewhere nearby, Penrose stated: "It keeps me in the loop with everyone back home. I always get the question would I not just transfer to a club down near here, and I'm just like 'no I can't do it'".
Speaking at the launch of SuperValu's new limited edition Pride themed Bag for Life, he continued: "I feel like I owe it to myself, my younger self to see it through now for the next coupe of years till retirement. The lads on the team, these are the people I grew up with."
When he dropped out of sport after moving abroad for university he lost connection with his club but now that he's back, he's landed on his feet.
"You walk into that changing room or on to that pitch with your head held high and you know that you're walking into a group of lads who fully support you for yourself," he added.
"I need to stand out here, to fit in to be liked"
Penrose grew up playing football, but struggled during his teenage years with his identity and sexuality.
Without a role model to look up to he became confused and anxious blaming football for these negative thoughts.
"Growing up for myself, I didn't have a role model who I saw myself in within that GAA culture and community and I think that's the reason I didn't know how to navigate that time in my life."
The environment in the changing rooms and on the pitch led Penrose to think that he couldn't be himself
"I need to stand out here, to fit in to be liked," he remarked.
"You hear the words being thrown around the changing room or on the pitch and it sort of makes you go back into yourself and for me it could be, in the corridor or the changing room thinking okay I can't act this way or talk about this or I have to get involved in this 'banter' per say to fit in."
Penrose's conflicting thoughts lead to a mental block on the pitch and resulted in him feeling he couldn't reach his potential. When the opportunity to travel arose he took it so he could escape the feelings he was having on the pitch.
"I associated Gaelic football and that environment with how I was feeling at that time, of being scared, not wanting to come out, just a build-up of thoughts in my mind of everything that could go wrong."
He soon realised however, the anxious confusing thoughts he was having was nothing to do with Gaelic football and everything to do with who he was deep down.
"I began realising that Gaelic football wasn't the problem; it was myself and coming to terms with the fact I was gay."
Three years ago when Penrose came out to his family and friends he was nervous about what his teammates would think. Those fears were soon set aside when Tyrone county player Ronan McNamee (below) reached out to him.
"To have a senior county player come and have those talks with you, it's encouraging, it's setting an example if your ally and advocate is Ronan McNamee. You're off to a great start.
He's willing to take up that role and have that difficult conversation that someone mightn't have the confidence to do - having him nudge me slightly after a few conversations, just reassuring me that no one is going to judge me, that I'm very welcome here makes coming back to football that bit easier."
Since his return, Penrose has noticed a culture shift amongst his team-mates, coaches and support staff. "Everyone's just there to play football," is now the positive summation.
The environment is one where he can embrace who he truly is and instead of worry about what others think of him, he's able to put all all his focus into the sport, where he's found the love again and he's making a real impact.
Another place he's making a real impact is as a role model and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community within the GAA. Penrose has been open about his own experience growing up in the GAA as a closeted gay teenager.
"Talking about it so openly and freely can really inspire and encourage other people even if it's somebody struggling with their sexuality, or if it's a football manager really wanting to get involved but not knowing how, you know it's going to help a lot of people I think."
When asked about how the GAA can become a better ally to the community, he stated: "It comes back to ourselves within the changing rooms, the managers, the backroom, the volunteers. I think it starts with that and then that's the ripple effect to show if one club can do it why can't every other club do it for everyone else."
He encourages people to be curious, educate themselves and spread awareness. "Use the resources online, BelongTo has so much information on there on allyship, on how to have a normal conversation, it doesn't have to be about being gay, just how's it going and that lays the ground work to have those deeper meaningful conversations down the line.
"Being open and transparent, if someone says something unintentional in the corridor without knowing its harmful, I need to be comfortable enough to call them out."