Ben Cohen on the cover of Gay Times Magazine

Rugby star and LGBT hero Ben Cohen appears on the cover of the recent issue of Gay Times, talking gay stereotypes, how to fight bullies, and his new underwear line which raises money for his StandUp Foundation.

In the interview, Cohen says that the StandUp Foudation has had a “hell of an impact” in the last year, in the U.S. and the U.K. in part because it was the first foundation of it’s kind.

“We’re on a very simple mission — to create awareness and support organizations and to affect and educate that next generation,” he told Gay Times. “We need to teach people to understand that homophobic and racial slurs and bullying is not right. And to be part of the impact is fantastic.”

He thinks, too, that being straight has helped people listen to his message: “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. And I think straight people are more likely to listen when they see me breaking down stereotypes.”

Read the interview online by clicking here.