A bisexual regional sports journalist has hit out at “rising anti-LGBT rhetoric” in the UK media.

Andrew Henderson, who works for Highland News & Media, has vowed to fight for those in sport suffering “judgement, exclusion or abuse” because of their sexuality.

Andrew, pictured, also runs Pride of the Terraces, a long-form journalistic platform dedicated to telling the stories of LGBT+ athletes that he launched in 2019.

He has now spoken out after discussing his own decision to come out to both family and HN&M colleagues in an interview with LGBT publication UnDividing Lines.

Speaking to HTFP, Andrew said: “Pride of the Terraces is a passion project, but it has opened up so many doors and connections for me personally beyond the scope of my day job with Highland News & Media.

“I started up the site because I felt there was a need for greater representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in sport, particularly in Scotland, and that has only heightened in the face of rising anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric in politics, social media and traditional media across the UK.

“I have been met with nothing but support from colleagues, friends and family, but I know that not everyone is so fortunate as to be in my position.

“I am by no means the only one working to make sport a more inclusive place for all – through Pride of the Terraces my eyes have been opened to the work that plenty of others are doing too – and I know that we will all keep going until everyone is free to be their authentic selves in whatever sport they love without fear of judgement, exclusion or abuse.”

In his UnDividing Lines interview, Andrew was asked about how HN&M colleagues reacted when he came out to them.

He said: “I actually had a weird moment a few months after I started working for the company when I realised that it was likely none of the people I worked with knew I was bi.

“As far as I was concerned, when I wrote an article saying it publicly, that was me ‘out’, but it started to sink in that you never really stop coming out.

“I think a lot of people only realised after I started producing LGBTQIA+ specific content, and to their credit nobody has taken issue with it.”