English rugby star Ben Cohen says he
doesn't see himself as a gay icon.
The hunky, six-foot-two star of the
Sale Sharks club last
week kicked off a campaign against homophobia. The Ben Cohen
Acceptance Tour begins next month in Atlanta, and will host events in
three additional U.S. cities – Washington, Seattle and New York
City.
In
a new interview with UK glossy QX Magazine, Cohen talked
about how his iconic status in the gay community came about.
“To be honest with you it's something
that's been going on for about five or six years,” Cohen said.
“There's this guy called Laurent in Paris who started a fan page on
Facebook and in the last couple of years it really took off. I don't
really see myself as a gay icon but I realize I have this huge
following and it's growing every day.”
“We heard these stories about people
getting bullied over their sexual preference and wanting to commit
suicide. I'm comfortable with my sexuality. I'm married and I've got
kids. But I thought if I can help out in any way, I'm in a position
where I can air my opinion and it'll get a lot of listeners. We're
trying to support people who are being bullied and to get people
who've been bullied to stand up against it.”
On Wednesday, Cohen
said he was disappointed with Lakers star Kobe Bryant for using an
anti-gay slur.