There are further steps which David Gough would love to see the GAA take during Pride month to show its support for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I would still love to see a Pride flag flown inside the stadium, not outside the stadium,” the inter-county football referee said at the launch of SuperValu’s ‘Wear with Pride’ Laces campaign.
“I would love to see the stadium lit up like the Aviva and other buildings around the country who are so proud to light up in Pride colours.
“I love the idea of the camogie teams doing a Pride round. I’ve seen them do it in Australia, I think it was AFL, where the perimeter lines on the pitch, instead of being white, were rainbow coloured. It was just lovely to see something simple like that, that’s visible.”
As part of the initiative and SuperValu’s wider #CommunityIncludesEveryone campaign, rainbow laces will be available to purchase in over 222 SuperValu stores nationwide for Pride month, with proceeds going to support Belong To, LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland. Photo Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
In episode four of the new SuperValu Dressing Room discussion series, Gough – who has been an intercounty referee since 2011 – said that before he marched with the GAA in the 2019 Pride Parade, he did not feel fully part of the association.
“I would say that I refereed better since 2019 than I did before it because I felt included in the GAA, that I felt part of it,” he said.
During a video call with the media last week, Gough explained this was a topic he discussed with then GAA president John Horan following the 2019 All-Ireland final between Kerry and Dublin. Gough officiated the drawn decider between the two sides.
“I spoke at length about this to John Horan,” he said.
“I can remember sitting in the president’s box àfter the All-Ireland final in 2019, and I was almost in tears explaining to John Horan the sort of self-confidence that came from the self-acceptance and that self-acceptance coming from the GAA. That they had finally accepted me and were willing not only accept me but to publicly put me out there as someone we’re very proud of.
“I was allowed go on the Late Late Show. For a referee to receive permission – we would always have to receive permission to do media… To be put on the Late Late Show and then to walk in Pride, that gave me a huge swelling of self-confidence.
1 September 2019; Referee David Gough before showing a second yellow card to Jonny Cooper of Dublin, before showing him the red card, for fouls on David Clifford of Kerry, left, during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
“We often talk, particularly where I work in a school, that people say they want to bring their full selves to work. It should be no different on the football field.
“As a human being, I should be bringing my full self to my job as a referee. In 2019, that was the first time I was allowed do that. I definitely saw a big jump in the standard my refereeing that year.”
In 2015, Gough had been refused permission to wear a rainbow wristband during a National League game. He feels the GAA has made “wonderful progress” regarding its inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community since then.
“It’s been eight very quick years,” said Gough.
“And I suppose we could take four out of that eight because after 2015 there was almost a fear in me because of the slap on the wrist I got for attempting to wear the wristband.
“I never brought it back to the GAA table until John Horan came in and we met in 2019. So I think from 2019 to where we are now that has been the greatest transformation of an Association to do with LGBT rights.
“To bring in a diversity and inclusion officer, to allow us walk in Pride, to allow their biggest sponsor to run a diversity and inclusion campaign for the last three years and build on it so much that we’re now in a position where each intercounty team – football, ladies football, camogie and hurling – are going to be given a set of laces to wear.
“The referees have been handed out their laces as well. And just to see that it has moved on so much in such a positive way is a great thing for me to see personally but also for the Association that it’s increasing its visibility within the LGBT community.
“A huge thing that has happened within the association is the registering of two LGBT teams. Within the GAA now we have Aeracha Uladh in Belfast and Na Gael Aeracha here in Dublin.
“To think only eight years after not being allowed wear a wristband to now seeing two LGBT teams existing inside the association, it’s wonderful progress. I just think the association is moving in the right way.”
19 December 2022; GAA diversity and inclusion officer Ger McTavish with Kara Maughan from Ballina in Mayo at the inaugural GAA Vision Sports Hurling Event, which was held at at Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh in Newcastle, Limerick. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Gough said it was never his intention to become a role model, “but when you’re put in the spotlight and one of the few to come out, you end up in a situation where you have a responsibility to talk about these issues to try and advance them within the GAA,” he added.
“I have received nothing but the height of praise from the GAA public, GAA fans, teams, managers and my own colleagues in the refereeing community. It can be sometimes difficult to be the one that is always banging on the door of the GAA with my rainbow flag looking for more and trying to advance matters.
“It was wonderful when Ger McTavish came in as a diversity and inclusion officer because I felt a great weight lifted off me in that I no longer needed to be that person to be pushing issues within the association.
“She’s taken up the mantle and she’s doing wonderful work.”