A new Guinness commercial, titled "Gareth Thomas: Never Alone", tells the compelling story of how the retired Welsh rugby player came out to his teammates.
In the advert, Thomas compares the physical pain he felt on the pitch to his internal turmoil about speaking out about his sexuality. "Every impact, every rib cracked, every bone broken... That was nothing compared to the demons tearing me apart in my darkest hour," he says. "I turned to my teammates, telling them I was gay, that was the toughest thing I've ever done. They were there for me."
A spokesperson for Guinness said: "Rather than focus on physical attributes of what makes a rugby player, this campaign looks to inner qualities like courage, empathy and resilience."
In 2009 when Thomas publicly came out, he was the first openly homosexual rugby professional still playing, and a year later he topped the Independent on Sunday's Pink List, which lists the 101 most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain.
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