Dónal Óg campaigns for LGBT rights in Russia

Cork hurling hero Dónal Óg Cusack yesterday revealed he is in Russia campaigning for gay rights.

The former All-Ireland- winning goalkeeper yesterday put the following post on his Twitter account: “In company of brave young Russians preparing to give these out on the street... #lgbt Russia”.

The post was accompanied by a picture of heart- shaped pieces of paper.

On each is written “Love has no gender”, as well as a message in Russian.

In company of brave young Russians preparing to give these out on the street...#lgbt Russia pic.twitter.com/6TdqrMvPij

— Dónal Óg Cusack (@DonalOgC) February 14, 2014

Last year, the Russian parliament banned the promotion of “non-traditional” sexuality — widely seen as an attack on gay rights. The lead-up to the Winter Olympics in Sochi has been dogged by controversy over the host nation’s stance.

The Cork star went public on his sexual orientation in his 2009 autobiography, Come What May. In the aftermath, he endured bigotry both from the stands when he was on the pitch, and through social media.

At the end of last month, Dónal Óg’s brother and fellow star hurler Conor also revealed that while he had had relationships with women, “I’ve always had more fulfilment from being with a man”.