Meet Levi Davis, Pro Rugby's First Out LGBTQ+ Active Player

A professional rugby player in England received a warm and welcoming response from his teammates when he revealed to them he was bisexual. The Daily Mail is reporting Levi Davis, 22, sent the message via text in April to his fellow players on the Bath rugby club, and they returned his trust with messages of support and affirmation. Now, he's sharing that message with the world making Davis is the first professional rugby player to announce he was LGBTQ+ while still an active player with a long career ahead of him.

"Hi guys. I just want to tell you something that's been eating away at me for four years now," Davis recalled of the text. 'I want to be open and honest with you boys, as friends and team-mates. I'm bisexual."

While he stressed terribly after having sent the message, wondering if he had made a mistake and ruined his career, he soon learned he had nothing to fear. Messages like "we support you" and "you're really brave" and, significantly, "this changes nothing" were sent by his teammates.

Rugby is a brutal and physical sport akin to American football in some respects but with many more notable differences. While size and speed are key attributes sought in rugby and American football players alike, there are no pads or forward passes in rugby. Rugby players also share the same swagger and dominating presence as American football players, in large part because of their physical size and conditioning.

With his massive leg and chest muscles and lightening speed, Davis is a prototypical rugby player. The charismatic winger is known for his bright attitude and is the life of the party for his teammates, joining in the locker room banter and enjoying the nightlife on the town. He is also talented off the rugby pitch as well. He recently appeared on Celebrity X Factor singing in the muscled boy band Try Star. Davis and his bandmates made it all the way to the semi-finals before elimination.

Davis comes from a hardscrabble background. He never knew his father. And whis mother loved him dearly, she was unable to care for her son properly and he was raised in foster care in the British countryside. He soon developed a love of rugby, and later received a scholarship at an exclusive boarding school where he flourished athletically and academically.

Coming to terms with his sexuality was difficult for Davis, and his mental and emotional well-being suffered as a result. Following his two-month stint with Celebrity X Factor, Davis is back with a new club in a lower league to train and rebuild himself and his career. He is currently signed to a two-year contract with Ealing in West London which he called "an amazing opportunity."

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