Coll Mart reflects on his feelgs after beg lled a gay slur - Outsports

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USL vtigatg claim Loyals Coll Mart, who me out publicly as gay 2018, was abed by Risgs Jamai ternatnal Junr Flemmgs, who says accatn is false

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COLL MART SAYS HE HAD MIXED FEELGS WHEN HIS TEAM FORFEED A GAME AFTER HE WAS LLED AN ANTI-GAY SLUR

Coll Mart is Ameri’s only openly gay male profsnal athlete the Big 4 and is brgg his talent and skill to San Diego’s expansn anchise the send-divisn USL Champnship. * san diego loyal gay player *

When an opponent lled pro soccer player Coll Mart an anti-gay slur the middle of a match, his team walked off the field and forfeed.

“Growg up as a kid, pecially high school when I thought I was potentially gog to have to hi this big fact that I was gay and still try to progrs sport, the last thg I wanted was anyone to know I was gay, and jt have my sexualy impact my abily to play.

COLL MART IS U.S. SOCCER'S ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER, AND HE'S WORKG TO MAKE THE GAME MORE CLIVE FOR FUTURE LGBTQ+ PLAYERS

The Loyal walked off the field prott when a player on the Phoenix Risg lled Mart a homophobic slur September 2020. The San Diego Loyal walked off the field prott Wednday night, sayg a Phoenix Risg player ed an anti-gay slur directed at openly-gay midfielr Coll Mart.

“I don’t thk there’s a better pated picture of allyship and straight teammat supportg a gay teammate, ” he said. Though he publicly me out 2018 when he played for the Mnota Uned — beg the send out active gay player MLS history — Mart says many of his teammat knew he was gay for years.

US SOCCER TEAM SAN DIEGO LOYAL WALKS OFF PCH AFTER ALLEGED HOMOPHOBIC ABE OF GAY PLAYER

He equented gay bars while playg Washgton D. “What’s been really special about San Diego — large parts Mnota as well — my teammat all knew I was gay for the most part when I signed wh the team, ” he said.

“From there, they were able to get to know me, and actually ask me qutns, and engage wh the fact that I’m gay. Though out athlet report wispread and ep acceptance om teammat, sual homophobia is still prevalent locker rooms and among fans.

SAN DIEGO LOYAL WALK OFF PCH AFTER ‘HOMOPHOBIC SLUR’ AT OPENLY GAY PLAYER SPE BEG 3-1 UP AGAST PHOENIX RISG

Moments earlier, an opposg player targeted Mart, an openly gay man, wh a homophobic slur, and as they gathered unr a tent at halftime, they discsed how to team was agreement: Somethg need to be done. "Flemmgs was later spend for six gam by the league, and he nied g an anti-gay slur toward Mart. "Beg able to have a posive msage e out of a really tough suatn was the silver lg, " he the only openly gay men's profsnal soccer player the Uned Stat -- and one of the few who have ever e out globally -- Mart has e to embrace the signifince of what he reprents, pecially for the LGBTQ+ muny.

Play1:48Coll Mart: Locker room support was all I needSan Diego Loyal midfielr Coll Mart says the support om his old teammat at Mnota Uned was a big help to him when he me out as gay. Around those years, havg to hi, havg to remd myself that like, 'Oh, my bt iend on the team, who jt lled another person a f----t, he isn't really homophobic, but he is jt tryg to be hurtful to that person.

OUT GAY PRO SOCCER PLAYER COLL MART SIGNS WH SAN DIEGO LOYAL SC

"Mart is not unique that he didn't have ach who were willg to step to put an end to homophobic language when was ed. US soccer team San Diego Loyal walked off the pch durg s match agast Phoenix Risg on Wednday reactn to an alleged homophobic slur towards one of s players. In the past soccer players and teams have talked of walkg off the pch when nonted wh homophobic or racist abe but Loyal’s proactive stance a petive game is a rary.

Mart me out as gay June 2018 while wh Mnota Uned. In a postgame vio statement posted to the Loyal’s Twter feed, Donovan said Mart had brought the homophobic slur to the fourth official’s attentn as the first half end.

“We went through a really hard cint last week the LA match and we ma a vow to ourselv, to our muny, to our players, to the club, to USL, that we would not stand for bigotry, homophobic slurs, thgs that don’t belong our game, ” Donovan, who played for Everton the English Premier League, said.

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Coll Mart is U.S. soccer's only openly gay male player, and he's workg to make the game more clive for future LGBTQ+ players - ESPN .

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