Australian hockey stars wear rainbow socks to support gay teammate

Four years ago, field hockey player Davis Atkin was outed as gay to his coach before he was ready to share that part of his life.

At that time, Atkin was a top athlete at the University of Canberra with dreams of representing Australia. He has since accomplished that and more, earning 20 international caps.

On Saturday, he contributed to a thrilling 4-3 victory for the Kookaburras against England in an FIH Pro League match in London.

The 24-year-old midfielder not only celebrated the win but also enjoyed a meaningful moment as every Australian player wore Pride rainbow socks, according to ‘MSN’.

This gesture of support was to commemorate Pride Month and the international governing body’s designated Diversity and Inclusion Day.

For Atkin, this was significant. “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.

“It paves the way for other people to follow that journey as a high-performance athlete.”

Atkin also took a moment to pose with a Pride flag on the pitch for a photo he later shared on Instagram and TikTok.

He has about 13,000 followers across these platforms, where his profile describes him as ‘The Beauty Athlete,’ drawing a large audience for his makeup and skincare tips.

When Atkin began sharing his story publicly in 2022, he explained how he had previously kept that aspect of his life separate from hockey, along with his sexuality. However, when his psychologist inadvertently disclosed this to Atkin’s coach, it forced his personal life into the open before he was prepared.

In field hockey at the elite level, there hadn’t been an openly gay male athlete before, which convinced Atkin that he shouldn’t be open with coaches and teammates.

This period was challenging, but his confidence gradually increased, along with his Instagram following. He was appointed as a Pride ambassador for the state hockey federation, joined Australia’s Under-21 squad, and began discussing being an openly gay athlete with the media.

In 2023, he received his first call-up to the senior national team and debuted in an FIH Pro League match against India.

Competition for team spots ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics put his international ambitions on hold, but he has returned to the Kookaburras this year, aiming for L.A. 2028.

Earlier this year, Atkin connected with Andrew Purchas, an openly gay Australian athlete from an earlier generation, to reflect on the impact of coming out stories in sports. There has been considerable Pride visibility in field hockey recently, but fewer openly gay male players, limiting conversation on the subject.

However, times are evolving with athletes like Atkin and Argentina’s Nico Keenan, an openly bisexual man engaged to leading Dutch politician Rob Jetten, proudly competing in the FIH Pro League. With India decriminalising homosexuality in 2018, only Pakistan, Malaysia, and Egypt among the top 20 men’s teams continue to outlaw same-sex relationships.

The Kookaburras’ Pride rainbow socks might appear small, but they were powerful for Atkin. He realizes he’s not alone in this sentiment.

“I had this nervous, anxious feeling of butterflies before the match, that this really means something to me,” he shared.

“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.”