An Australian rodeo cowboy has taken a
defiant tone after receiving death threats over his sexuality.
In a video that has gone viral,
18-year-old Josh Goyne, a competitive bull rider, vowed that he would
never back down to homophobes.
“Today, I was attacked for being an
openly gay cowboy,” Goyne says in the nearly 2-minute video which
he posted on Facebook. “I was asked if I thought it was good that
gays died of AIDS. And he also said he wished it was 1850 so he
could shoot me for being a fag.”
“I will proudly stand up to any
homophobe and say right to their face that I'm a proud, openly gay
cowboy.”
“The gay cowboy will never be
silenced. I will forever be a proud, openly gay cowboy. I will
happily give a voice to those who are too scared to speak up and be
who they are, and I will always be out and proud,” he
added.
Goyne, who is traveling later this
month to Dallas to compete in the Texas Tradition Rodeo, told
News.com.au that response to his video has been overwhelming. “I've
even had straight cowboys say they will help me out at the rodeo and
stand with [me] if I have any trouble,” he
said.