'It's been tough:' Doncaster darts ace Beau Greaves reveals homophobic abuse
The darts ace has said she came in for abuse after posting a photo of her female partner
Doncaster darts sensation Beau Greaves says she received homophobic online hate when she first posted a photo of her female partner on social media.
The city arrows ace went public with her relationship with Shan Reeves following her first Pro Tour victory in April.
She beat Michael Smith 8-7 in the final in Milton Keynes to become the first woman to win one of the ranking events in the PDC’s Players Championship series.
On her Instagram account, she published an image of the pair together in an embrace with a caption that said she was “feeling so lucky at the moment with this one by my side”.
Since then she has posted numerous photos of the pair together, particularly when she lifted the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool in July for the third occasion.
The pair, who live together, met almost a decade ago playing England Youth tournaments and have been together for four years.
The majority of the responses on her Instagram account have been overwhelmingly positive and congratulatory.
But in a recent interview with The Observer, the three-time women’s world champion said some people had been particularly hurtful with their comments.
Greaves, 22, said: “It’s been tough for me.
“I never really came out, as such. People who knew me, knew, but when we did post about it, there were quite a few vulgar comments from a lot of men.
“When I told my mum and dad, they just said, ‘And?’
“At the end of the day, she’s my biggest supporter. Why not embrace it for what it is, and not be bothered about what people say?”
Greaves, ranked 74th in the world with £70,000 against her name, is one of the most exciting young talents in the sport and is a trailblazer for women’s darts.