September 14, 1978– Ben Cohen:

“You can take your top off but you have to keep things respectable.”

I am not personally acquainted with Ben Cohen, but I think I should be.

Cohen is the straight father of eight year old twin girls. He is also a fearsome former rugby player, a 6’ 3’’ powerhouse 2003 World Cup winner, the second highest scorer in English history. Since leaving sports, Cohen devotes his energies full-time to the Ben Cohen Standup Foundation.

In 2000, his father, Peter Cohen, brother of 1966 World Cup winner George Cohen, died after being beaten while coming to the rescue of a man being bullied in the nightclub he owned. After his father’s death, Cohen started his foundation to combat bullying of all types, most especially people who might be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.

The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation is our pretty planet’s very first organization dedicated to combating of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying, and funding those doing the real work to stop it. I don’t doubt his efforts. His StandUp Foundation helps increase awareness and makes a difference in the lives of the young people who are particularly vulnerable to the hate.

Cohen:

“I believe that every person on this planet has a right to be true to themselves, to love, be loved and to be happy.  That’s what we all want.  I am in a privileged position to be able to spread some important messages across the globe and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m passionate about standing up against homophobia and feel compelled to take action.  It is time we stand up for what is right and support young people who are being harmed.”

With his handsome looks and hot bod, Cohen gets attention and he knows it, making it work. He is willing to pose shirtless for photographs and be a calendar boy to get his message out. The fact that he is a famous world-class athlete puts him in a unique position, particularly in the world of sports, for players and for fans.  Remember how closeted gay athletes still are, usually not coming out until after they have retired.

The general public seems willing to pay attention to straight people talking about the intolerance toward and injustices against gay people, more than when we make our own case.  Gay people need to be out of the closet to the whole world, stand up and be brave in the face of hatred, but a compassionate and influential straight guy like Cohen on our side doesn’t hurt.

For me, Cohen really is a hero. He made the choice to shift his priorities from playing professional sports and earning a nice salary, to adopting a cause not normally supported by someone who is straight.

Cohen:

“We’re on a very simple mission, to create awareness and support organizations and to affect and educate that next generation. We need to teach people to understand that homophobic and racial slurs and bullying is not right. To be part of the impact is fantastic. I think that the most important thing about it is that I’m straight and promoting a foundation that’s anti-homophobia. I’m bridging the gap between gay and straight. I think straight people are more likely to listen when they see me breaking down stereotypes.”

Besides being a straight Gay Hero and Gay Icon, Cohen enjoys motorcycling, but he spends most of his time with the twins. His farm in Northamptonshire keeps him busy with a variety of animals including horses, sheep, old men from Portland and chickens.

Cohen is also hearing-impaired, and he works for Deaf causes as well as LGBTQ ones.

Cohen split with his wife in 2014. He is now dating Russian professional ballroom dancer Kristina Rihanoff, his partner on the 2013 season of Strictly Come Dancing, a sort of British version of Dancing With The Stars. The couple had a baby in January. Apparently, despite wearing a jockstrap, Cohen is not shooting blanks. The British scandal rags have been all over this story.

In 2014, Cohen participated in our own Portland Pride celebrations, making personal appearances and raising funds for anti-bullying efforts. I was unable to secure a visit from him, although I had invited him to The Husband’s Downtown shop, Boys’ Fort, to demonstrate how to handle his balls. I give Ben Cohen an A+ on the Steve Report Card.

“It is all about that next generation and teaching kids so they understand what gay means and the connotations of words like ‘homo’ and ‘faggot’… that whole understanding. I think homophobia is still a problem everywhere. It is the last ‘ism’ – there are still traces of racism and sexism but there is further to go to stamp out homophobia.”