British diver Tom Daley yesterday announced he is in a gay relationship, and brandRapport Sports Marketing Dir Nigel Currie "doubted whether Daley’s high earning potential would be harmed at all," according to Simon Hart of the London TELEGRAPH. Currie said, "I think it may, in some shape or form, actually improve his marketability because of what he has done and the way he handled it." Currie added, "We live in a modern world and sponsors and brands in general are much more flexible and broad in their views nowadays. In a world where companies are very conscious of their image and their social responsibility, I think they want to appear to appeal to as broad a spectrum as possible, and from that point of view they are not going to let things get in the way that might have been barriers in the past." However, Hart notes Australian diver Matt Mitcham's "experience of being a gay athlete has not always been positive." Mitcham in previous interviews has "revealed that his sexuality has been proved a major impediment to attracting corporate sponsors" (London TELEGRAPH, 12/3). Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, who came out as gay in '11, said of Daley's announcement, "This will make no difference with tolerant and progressive companies in this country. But if those countries have an international presence, there is pressure from eastern Europe to not sponsor gay people. I can't prove I lost sponsors, but deals that were agreed suddenly disappeared" (BBC.com, 12/2).
