June is Delight Month. Devoted to celebrating and commemorating LGBTQ+ pleasure, Delight Month is over 50 years previous and began after the Stonewall riots, a collection of homosexual liberation protests in 1969.
PokerNews will launch a collection of articles to mark Delight Month, showcasing the position LGBTQ+ people play in our trade and the discrimination they’ve confronted. They may even spotlight what they really feel could be carried out to foster higher inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood in poker.
Poker is a sport for everybody, and everybody ought to really feel protected, welcomed, and included, regardless of how they establish.
As a part of our Delight Month collection, immediately we’re talking with WSOP bracelet winner Alexandre Vuilleumier. The Swiss participant, who’s homosexual, began taking part in poker in early 2005 however did not begin taking part in full-time till a few years later.
“Coming from chess it was a pure development and I instantly revered the sport,” he instructed PokerNews. “I revered it a lot that I knew I did not wish to simply play it on the aspect. So I ended till 2017, which is once I began taking part in full-time.
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Vuilleumier’s Poker Profession
Vuilleumier’s first recorded money got here on the 2018 World Sequence of Poker — a good 1,554th place within the $565 Colossus. Since then, Vuilleumier has amassed over $2.2 million in stay earnings, ok for second on the Swiss all-time cash listing behind Linus Loeliger.
In 2022, Vuilleumier final-tabled the EPT London Primary Occasion, ending third for £296,150 ($334,784). The next yr he grabbed his first WSOP bracelet in Occasion #2: $25,000 Excessive Curler 6-Handed for $1,215,864.
“To win a bracelet is simply the epitome of a poker profession for certain,” he instructed PokerNews after profitable.
“To win a bracelet is simply the epitome of a poker profession “
Nevertheless, reactions to his win weren’t solely optimistic, one thing that Vuilleumier felt was “to be anticipated”, particularly on social media.
“I used to be so proud once I received my bracelet final yr,” Vuilleumier mentioned. “The one dangerous reactions have been after I received, throughout pleasure month, that some individuals wrote some shit on Twitter.
“On the desk, individuals do not see that I am homosexual. So something unfavorable tends to occur on Twitter, which is to be anticipated.”
Vuilleumier shouldn’t be the primary homosexual bracelet winner, with Vanessa Selbst and Ryan Laplante having received in recent times, two gamers that Vuilleumier he considers his two important heroes.
“They deserve a number of credit score for having fought the nice struggle. They actually impressed me to rejoice final yr the way in which I did.”
Delight Month: “Gamers Are Scared to Come Out” says PSPC Last-Tablist Thumm
Though by his personal admission, Vuilleumier is “new to poker,” he says that the neighborhood as an entire has been welcoming.
“I’ve by no means had issues with youthful individuals, and the older ones actually have begun to be extra open with the years.”
He additionally feels that regardless of homosexual individuals and gamers in the neighborhood being on the receiving finish of abuse and discrimination, there are others who’re additionally worthy of being appeared out for.
“As homosexual individuals we’re fairly naturally drawn to the struggle vs the previous white cis straight wealthy fats man, so I particularly all the time strive to concentrate to ladies, who most likely endure probably the most on the felt. Typically foreigners could be attacked. That is why I attempt to communicate to everybody in their very own language and the opposite means round, make them perceive that it is impolite to speak about somebody in a language they do not grasp.”
Vuilleumier says that extra could be carried out at occasions to guard those that are discriminated towards. He singled out sellers who’re generally impacted the toughest.
“Particularly those the place it is a little bit bit extra apparent they’re homosexual. For the older white man who needs to show energy, there is a ‘double dosis’ of their thoughts, and I think about it is a greater drawback than for gamers.
“I might like to see some particular poker occasions held for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, possibly incorporating charities or coated by PokerNews.”
Managing Editor
Primarily based in the UK, Will began working for PokerNews as a contract stay reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time workers in 2019.
He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.
