Terri Harper on facing hate: 'Just be your authentic self. Don’t change who you are'

Professional boxing can be a hostile environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

But Terri Harper, a multi-weight world champion, looks to help where she can.

"I've had a couple of people in and around the gym, they just feel comfortable coming to me and chatting to me. I'm not an expert but I do like to just give a couple of words of advice," Harper told Sky Sports.

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"I think it's always important to be true to who you are. Just be your authentic self and just do what you truly believe in and try not to change yourself for anybody else despite if they have other opinions.

"Because we're all entitled to an opinion but it doesn't mean you have to change who you are."

After her lightweight world title unification fight with Caroline Dubois on April 5, Harper will start planning her wedding with partner Gemma.

Harper added: "I think I've been quite lucky throughout my career to not really have much hate.

"I think I've got to that age now where it's just over my head because I know who I am as a person."

There are positive signs from grassroots gyms, the sport's community and amateur boxing.

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Martin Stark, an activist against homophobia in combat sport, said: "A number of women in the sport are real champions of change, real trailblazers. I think that gives a level of hope and the hope is obviously the vast majority of people involved in the sport who are against this.

"The people who welcome someone into their gym, or are supporting their mates, what I call real boxing, that's the hope."

But he doesn't see similar support more generally in the professional sport. "A gay boxer, or bi boxer who is in the closet and is bullied, who are they going to go to for support? There's nothing," Stark said.

"I'll separate the amateur and the professional. Amateur boxing has made good progress and absolutely would call out hate speech and discrimination.

"But at the moment when we look at the professional level and the leadership and where it's heading, it's going to get worse.

"I don't think homophobia in boxing will be solved in my lifetime."

Watch Terri Harper fight Caroline Dubois for the WBC and WBO world lightweight championships live on Sky Sports on Sunday April 5