Match of the Gay
19th January 2026
Spotlighting football and identity at inaugural Pitlochry festival
LEAP Sports were pleased to support the inaugural Out in the Hills Festival, hosted at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 16–18 January. The new queer arts festival was curated by Lewis Hetherington alongside the theatre’s Artistic Director, Alan Cumming, and brought a packed programme of performances, talks and community events to Highland Perthshire.
One of the festival’s standout conversations explored LGBTIQ+ identities in professional football through the session “Match of the Gay”, a timely and powerful discussion reflecting the ongoing need for visibility, inclusion and safety in sport.
The panel was chaired by Zander Murray, Scotland’s first openly gay professional footballer, whose leadership and advocacy continue to inspire LGBTQ+ people across the sporting world. Zander was joined by LEAP Sports trustee and former Scotland international Amy McDonald, and former LEAP Sports trustee Coinneach MacLeod, known widely as the Hebridean Baker, who also brought unique insight through his years of professional experience working with FIFA and UEFA.
Together, the panel explored what progress has been made, what barriers remain, and why representation in the men’s professional game still matters so much, not only for players, but for fans, young people, and future generations who deserve to see sport as a place where they belong.
Across the weekend, audiences had the chance to engage with an incredible range of voices from culture, politics and public life. The festival featured appearances from Mhairi Black, Sir Ian McKellen, Graham Norton, and Val McDermid, amongst many others, underlining the scale and ambition of this first-ever Out in the Hills programme. Huge congratulations to Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Lewis Hetherington, Alan Cumming, and everyone involved in delivering a festival that made such an impact in its first year. We look forward to Out in the Hills 2027.
