Footy great Nicky Winmar makes a stand for gay son Tynan ahead of AFL’s Pride Game
FOOTY great Nicky Winmar has bared his soul on the same patch of turf where he made his iconic stand against racism, to stand up for his once-estranged gay son Tynan.
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FOOTY great Nicky Winmar has bared his soul on the same patch of turf where he made his iconic stand against racism.
This time at Victoria Park, however, Winmar has made a stand for his son Tynan, who is gay, and for all gay people in Australia.
“I’m proud I can do this for him, and his friends and others out there — if you’re gay, be proud of who you are,’’ Winmar said.
“I was proud to stand up for indigenous people in sport and now it’s time to stand up for these guys.”
But this is not about Nicky Winmar.
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This is about Tynan, 28, who has come out in support of the Pride Game between St Kilda and Sydney on Saturday night.
Tynan told his dad he was gay two years ago after they two of them had not spoken for 10 years.
From that momentous day, they have developed a relationship beyond what they could ever have imagined.
It was only after Winmar had a heart attack in September 2012, that Tynan started the process of reconnecting.
“He definitely regrets what happened in the past, he knows that, he knows he’s not perfect, but he’s making an effort,” Tynan said.
“I love him. For a long time I didn’t feel like it, but in the past couple of years I feel our relationship is as strong as it’s ever been.
“I don’t even think it’s about my sexuality, I know it’s big part of it, but he’s just happy to have a son in his life again.”
Tynan has shared his story about being the son of an AFL superstar and the expectation which came with that, about a teenager who struggled with his identity and who kept secrets, and about a man who is now afraid of nothing.
He admitted that to come out, in the face of fear of backlash, was a long-time “internal struggle”.
“I have an opportunity to tell my story, be a face, be a voice, and if I help one person come to terms with their own internal struggle, it’s for the right reasons,” he said.
“There’s plenty of people who have this secret. I have met people who were married, had children and it wasn’t until their late 50s they decided to come out.
“You can talk to people about it but can’t tell them how to do it.
“I’m happy and it’s taken me a long time to get to that stage.
“I have a good relationship with mum, finally have a good relationship with my dad, finally have a good relationship with myself, I finally got to the stage where I love myself.”
Winmar said his sojourn to Victoria Park was a different story to the one in 1993, where he raised his jumper and pointed to his black skin, but was equally as important.
“We have to look after the young fellas these days,” he said.
“It’s 2016, not the 1960s and ’70s where they used to hide and be scared of what they are and who they are.”
READ MARK ROBINSON’S FEATURE STORY ON NICKY’S PRIDE
Originally published as Footy great Nicky Winmar makes a stand for gay son Tynan ahead of AFL’s Pride Game
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