Photographer: James Robinson

Gareth Thomas has opened up about some of the horrific abuse he has faced from strangers on the street. 

Back in 2019, the former Welsh rugby captain revealed that he was HIV-positive after a tabloid threatened to out his status.

“Now that you have that information, it makes me extremely vulnerable, but it does not make me weak,” he said in a video uploaded on X/Twitter. “I choose to fight to educate and break the stigma around this subject.”

Since that fateful day, Thomas has fervently used his platform to shatter misconceptions and debunk harmful myths about the condition, earning praise from fans, LGBTQIA+ organisations and other advocacy groups.

But despite his incredible contributions to the rugby world, queer community and HIV/AIDS awareness, the 51-year-old has continued to experience hate from bigoted trolls.

During a recent appearance on Bryony Gordon’s The Life of Bryony podcast, Thomas recalled a harrowing interaction he had with “two young lads” who spat on him on the street.

“I won’t sit here and be big guy and say it doesn’t hurt. So the two young lads who walked past spat at me and called me an AIDS spreader,” he recalled.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by bryonygordon (@bryonygordon)

However, instead of hurling his own set of insults or getting physical, Thomas killed the two individuals with kindness.

“I just stopped, and I opened up my arms. So they walked past me. One spat at my chest, one spat at my feet. They walked past me, they waited for a reaction, and I just opened up my arms, and it kind of put them off because that was completely different,” he continued.

“And then they started calling me names. I was like, ‘Do you want a hug?’ And they were like, ‘We’re not going to have a hug off you. You got effing AIDS.’ And I’m like, ‘Do you want to hug, boys? Do you want to hug?'”

The talented athlete went on to say that he walked away from the interaction feeling that he had won, adding that they wanted an angry reaction from him.

“They wanted confirmation that I was a bad person. And I refused to give the confirmation that I was a bad person,” he continued. 

Elsewhere in his interview, Thomas opened up about the discrimination his loved ones and friends have faced, simply because they are associated with him.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gareth Thomas (@gareththomasofficial)

“[My husband] Steve is HIV negative, but he’s a teacher in college, right? He’s a brilliant teacher. It’s difficult for him at times because he’s afraid of the stigma that might come from the students within the college,” he revealed.

Thomas also revealed that his parents have faced pushback, stating that people once knew them as the parents of ‘Gareth, the Welsh rugby player.” However, now they are known as “the mother and father of the guy who’s got HIV.”

So, the stigma that comes with the association of being open and wanting to be authentic in a certain way, but thinking that will last. Will that stigma disappear for me the day after I talk about my HIV virus because I got nothing to hide anymore,” he said.

“The reality is the day after is when the shit begins, right? It’s when it starts because you’ve opened yourself up, you’ve made yourself vulnerable.”

In addition to his status, the legendary talent discussed being an ‘agony aunt’ for closeted sports players and gushed about his husband’s longstanding support.

Check out Thomas’ full podcast interview here.