Robbie Rogers joined fellow LGBT athletes Pat Manuel, Julie Shaw, Terrence Clemens, Lypheng Kim and Cyd Zeigler (founder of OutSports) in sharing their experiences coming out in the world of sports.
Said Rogers of his experience growing up in sports,
“I've heard homophobic things my whole life in locker rooms. It's hard to have a relationship you feel comfortable with when obviously you're hiding something.”
However, Rogers also emphasized the positive impact coming out had not only for him but also for his teammates:
“The things I heard from guys that were just the most ridiculous, insane, ignorant things, [those] were the same guys that showed me so much love and compassion and were really pushing me to stay in the sport…Now I'm in the locker room and we talk about marriage equality.”
Zeigler encouraged young LGBT athletes to seek out help and support in their communities.
Shaw added,
“I think the fact that some people are still very fearful of coming out and might not be in a great environment, that implies that there's still a long way to go.”
Watch the video below:
