Openly gay Scottish footballer Zander Murray to give two public talks exploring the issue of homophobia in sport

Moray Pride Inclusion Hub, which connects LGBTQ+ community members with local sports clubs to promote inclusive sporting opportunities, will be hosting Zander on Wednesday, 7 May as he talks about challenging homophobia in sport.

The former Motherwell, Airdrie and Bonnyrigg Rose striker made history in 2022, when he became the first Scottish professional footballer to come out as gay.

Since retiring from football, the Scot has become a highly sought-after and award-winning public speaker, delivering talks on making sport more inclusive. Zander has won several awards since coming out, including most recently Alumni of the Tear at Edinburgh Napier University.

In 2023 he was named one of the LGBTQ+ trailblazers changing the world by Attitude magazine, and the football shirt in which he scored his 100th goal was placed in the Scottish Football Museum.

The first talk takes place at the University of Highlands and Islands Moray campus from 2.45-4.15pm. This will be followed by a second talk on the same subject in the Elgin City FC Hospitality Suite at Borough Briggs between 7pm – 8.30pm. There is no need to book before attending.

Zander said: “By my teens I was I playing for Motherwell’s youth team, but I was also beginning to realise I was different from my friends. I knew I was gay, and I fought against it. I fought it because of the kind of conversations I was having in the changing room.

“These were the sorts of conversations young lads have; about girls, being tough, playing hard – and the language used to describe gay men was not what you would call inclusive.

“We were just boys and didn’t know any better, but it did set me apart from my team-mates. While going out on the pitch was my relief, I slowly turned away from the game – it was some time after this that I returned to the professional game.

“It’s important to address homophobia, and I’m very pleased to be taking part in these talks.”