Kookaburras Hockey Team Wears Rainbow Socks To Support Gay Teammate During Pride Month
Image: Photo: kookaburrasofficial / Instagram.
In a powerful display of solidarity and inclusion, Australia’s national men’s field hockey team, the Kookaburras, donned rainbow socks during a recent match to mark Pride Month and support their openly gay teammate, Davis Atkin.
The FIH Pro League match against England, held in London, saw the Kookaburras overcome a two-goal deficit to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory.
Beyond the on-field heroics, the team’s choice to wear rainbow socks was a poignant gesture of unity and support for Atkin, who has been open about his journey as a gay athlete.
“I said to the boys this morning that I just really appreciate everyone being as inclusive as they are, and this was as simple as wearing socks, but I’m able to flourish as much as I can,” he told Hockey Australia.
“If I had grown up and seen my heroes run out in rainbow socks, that would have been immense, showing me that people at the top level are like me, and it paves the way for other people to follow that journey as a high-performance athlete.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling. I had this nervous, anxious feeling of butterflies before the match, that this really means something to me. It means something to so many people. Seeing lots of pride flags out there showed it really is an inclusive environment, and I just loved it. I almost cried at the end.”
On Instagram, Atkin posted a photo of himself draped in a Pride flag, speaking in the caption about how his team’s action made his “heart full”.
“Being able to run out onto the pitch with pride socks together as a team was something truly special. The inclusivity, the support, and the joy in this group made it all feel surreal,” he wrote.
“You can’t be what you can’t see, and even something as simple as rainbow socks can be a powerful sign to someone out there that they are seen, valid and belong too. 🏳️🌈💛💚”
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Atkin has become a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports, after his psychologist accidentally outed him to his coach in 2021.
He spoke to Outsports the year after he was outed, saying that he loves makeup and found that it relaxed him when he was having a difficult time emotionally.
“Last year I was in a pretty dark place,” he said. “Coming and doing that sort of stuff — it’s almost like a relaxation thing, because I don’t have to worry about doing anything else. I’m doing something I love, and it’s just a place where I get to be myself. There’s no one else there looking at me. It’s just me and my phone.”
A post on the team’s official Instagram account highlighted the Kookaburras’ Pride initiative: “You can’t be what you can’t see, and today by wearing rainbow socks, it is displaying to the hockey community that representation and inclusion matters even at the top level and the team are proud to have a culture where acceptance and inclusion are a part of who we are and what we stand for.”
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