Shortly after this blow, doctors brought the Thomases more bad news: the fetus that Jemma Thomas was carrying had died. The pregnancy, like her two previous ones, ended in a miscarriage.

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The pressure of Thomas's situation bore so heavily on him that he had suicidal thoughts as he walked along the high cliffs near his home.

"It wasn't that I really wanted to die," he explained to Weathers. "I just wanted everything to be different, for it all to go away."

But he knew it would not and could not.

He decided to come out to his wife, who was shocked but still remained with him when he returned to Toulouse to begin playing again.

"At first, we both felt that we couldn't just walk away from each other," recalled Thomas, but the couple soon realized that the marriage could not survive. They divorced, but without rancor; neither has had anything but good to say of the other.

When Thomas returned to Wales, he was reunited with Johnson, who was not the head coach of the Welsh team but instead at the helm of the squad for their opponent, his native Australia.

Sensing that something was dreadfully wrong emotionally with Thomas, Johnson approached him, revealed his suspicion that Thomas's disquiet was due to his homosexuality, and volunteered to broach the issue with some of Thomas's Welsh teammates, with whom Johnson was, of course, well acquainted.

As good as his word, Johnson returned in a couple of hours—a terrifying interval for Thomas—with Martyn Williams and Stephen Jones, two of the most illustrious members of the team, both of whom expressed support. Williams asked why Thomas had not told them before.

The answer was fear. Internet sites were buzzing with commentary and speculation about the reason for the break-up of the Thomases' marriage, and both of his teams, Wales and Toulouse, had been contacted by tabloid newspapers seeking to out him. Thomas's teammates circled the wagons to let him come out on his own terms.

He quit Toulouse shortly thereafter, thus eliminating one potential source of leaks, and came home to play for the Cardiff Blues.

Thomas came out publicly in December 2009 on the eve of a match between Cardiff and his previous team, Toulouse. When he informed his teammates of the impending announcement, they were supportive, and his parents feted his return home by popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate "the start of the rest of your life."

Glbtq rights activist Peter Tatchell hailed Thomas for acknowledging his homosexuality during his sports career. "It is very positive Gareth has come out while he is still an active player," he stated to Jamie Doward of The Guardian. "Many of the sports people who have declared their homosexuality have tended to do so after their careers were over. . . . Hopefully this will ease the way for other gay and bisexual players to also come out."

Thomas reported to Gary Smith of Sports Illustrated that he had already heard from gay youth who had given up sports but were inspired by his example to return. Other gay men also wrote to tell Thomas how encouraging his decision to come out had been for them. Tens of thousands of fans—both glbtq and allies—joined Facebook and Twitter pages supporting him.

In order to help young Britons who are struggling with issues of sexual orientation, Thomas has become a spokesman for ChildLine, a telephone counseling helpline. The service is not limited to glbtq concerns but is an invaluable resource for youngsters who have few if any other places to turn for confidential help with their questions.

Thomas has also become a patron of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History Month in Great Britain.

For his courage and accomplishments, Thomas was at the top of The Independent's 2010 "pink list," the newspaper's annual roster of leaders in the glbtq community in Great Britain.

In April 2010 Thomas joined the Wrexham Celtic Crusaders, but a groin injury requiring surgery sidelined him in the summer. He has signed a contract for the 2011 season, however, and is optimistic about his future on the field and off.

While sports, at least on the major competitive level, may be the final closet for gay men, there have nevertheless been a number of gay male elite athletes.

Closeted throughout his professional basketball career, John Amaechi is the first player from the National Basketball Association to acknowledge that he is gay; since coming out, he has become an eloquent spokesman for glbtq rights.

Former baseball player and current television personality, Billy Bean was closeted throughout his major league career but has since become a proud advocate for glbtq rights.

The first major league baseball player to acknowledge his homosexuality publicly, Glenn Burke believed that homophobia impeded his chances for a more successful career.

The first American professional athlete to acknowledge his homosexuality publicly, former National Football League player David Kopay stands near the head of the short list of openly gay and lesbian elite athletes.

One of the few elite glbtq athletes to come out publicly while still competing, Amélie Mauresmo has held the number one ranking of the Women's Tennis Association.

One of the greatest tennis players in history, Martina Navratilova has become an outspoken supporter of gay and lesbian rights.

At the height of his athletic career, Australian rugby superstar Ian Roberts made the courageous decision to come out as a gay man.

Hall of Fame golfer Patty Sheehan, who came out as a lesbian at the height of her career, continues to excel on the LPGA Legends tour.

British activist Peter Tatchell, a vocal proponent of glbtq rights since the early 1970s, is controversial figure even within the glbtq community.