A special hurdle: Coming out in sport

Every gay man who has decided in the past to stand by himself, his inclinations and perhaps even already a steady boyfriend, knows the special feeling that a Coming Out brings with it. The mix of excitement and relief often stays in the memory for a long time.

In addition, the question of "How will those around me react to my inclinations? Especially people who are in the public eye (understandably) imagine how the press will market the topic.

People from different areas of public life have already impressively proven in the past that coming out does not have to mean the end of one's career, of course (and thank God). However, especially when athletes confess their love for men, a media outcry often goes through the country. But what is the actual reason for this?

Sportsman: masculine and well-trained

Do singers, like Ricky Martin, for example, come out as gaythe public often reacts in a largely chilled manner. After all, the musical business, among others, proves that homosexuality and art often go hand in hand.

Athletes, on the other hand, are usually considered particularly masculine. Here, it sometimes "shocks" many even more to see that they are not passionate women lovers. It is therefore all the more important that further signs are set here in the coming years.

Because: of course being gay and sport are not mutually exclusive! Yes, there are gay footballers, tennis players and the like! And the more courage they show by standing by their inclinations, the better! After all, the corresponding coming outs prove that being gay, sporty and successful are not mutually exclusive.

It is a classic prejudice that gay athletes are exclusively represented in dance sports.

Gay athletes and their coming out - these examples are encouraging!

The coming out of famous athletes can not only set an example, but also encourage many young gays. But which gay athletes created a real "wow! factor" within the gay community with their confession of the same sex? Scene?

Tom Daley, for example, proved that gay and the Olympics are not mutually exclusive. As a water diver, he came third in the 2012 Olympics. However, he only came out about a year later.

Greg Louganis even won gold at the Olympics four times. For a long period of time, however, he did not speak publicly about his HIV diagnosis. He was, however, one of the athletes who was LGBTQ scene in the 1980s may well have given it a bit of a boost.

An example of a gay athlete who is or was at home in a particularly masculine sport is John Amaechi. The former basketball player came out as gay after his career ended. Good, but actually a pity that the coming out happened "so late". After all, it can be assumed that the pressure from the sport must have been immense.
Perhaps he was, or many athletes still are, afraid that coming out during an ongoing career could have a negative impact on fan support, transfers and the like?

The ex-professional basketball player has written a book about his confession of being gay, the reactions of those around him and many other aspects.

Also interesting: Because of Corona: the CSD is going virtual!