Jake Daniels be first UK male footballer to e out as gay sce 1990 | Football | The Guardian

Contents:

• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• TWO PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMMAT ARE A RELATNSHIP AND OPEN ABOUT BEG A GAY UPLE
• WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE
• AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
• PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY
• GIANT MURAL ON NORWICH PUB HONOURS JT FASHANU, ENGLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER
• CONOR COADY EXCLIVE: OPENLY GAY PLAYER AT TOP LEVEL WOULD BE ACCEPTED "WHOUT A DOUBT"
• A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 61 OUT GAY PLAYERS THE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE
• GARY LEKER SAYS HE KNOWS TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS AND HOP THEY E OUT DURG QATAR WORLD CUPTHE FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER SAID THAT HE KNOW TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN “VERY CLOSE” TO REVEALG THEIR SEXUALYBUZZBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSSPORTBYRUAIRI STT BYRNEDEPUTY EDOR17:51, 14 OCT 2022UPDATED15:31, 2 NOV 2022BOOKMARKGARY LEKER ATTENDS AN EVENG WH GARY LEKER, NVERSATN WH TIM MARLOW OBE, AT THE DIGN MM PARTNERSHIP WH THE WICK ON MAY 24, 2022 LONDON, ENGLAND (IMAGE: DAVID M. BET/DAVE BET/GETTY IMAG FOR THE DIGN MM)SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!
• MEET THE 16 OUT GAY AND BI FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE NFL’S 103-YEAR HISTORY
• WHY ARE MORE FEMALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY OR BISEXUAL THAN MALE PLAYERS?
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER ENGLAND SCE JT FASHANU: JAKE DANIELS LATT WORLD FOOTBALLER TO E OUT
• FORMER PATRTS AND CHIEFS TACKLE RYAN O’CALLAGHAN OUT AS GAY
• 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990

The Blackpool forward Jake Daniels has end s of silence wh men’s football to bee the first player the UK to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990. Photograph: Pl Dennis/TGS Photo/ShutterstockDaniels’s revelatn is a strikg landmark that when men’s football is more engaged wh social issu than any recent time, but still unable to ce progrs LGBTQ reprentatn wh the year Alai Uned’s Josh Cavallo beme the only male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to e out as gay, but others are yet to follow. In six months the men’s World Cup will be played Qatar, where homosexualy is illegal, and Cavallo revealed to the Guardian he would be “sred” to play at the tournament, the pnacle of world English football specifilly, the shadow of the talented and unfulfilled Fashanu still lgers over the game.

The England ternatnal me out at the end of his reer and was to take his own life eight years later, Fashanu, Jt’s niece, who ns a charable foundatn his name, said that Daniels’s cisn would “e as a huge fort to the many footballers at all levels of the game still secretly livg as gay and who still feel unable to e out”. ExclivePublished: 20:30, 12 Nov 2022Updated: 11:28, 13 Nov 2022TWO Premier League players the same team are a relatnship — and open about beg a gay uple. It after we told earlier this earlier this year how a gay former England and Premier League player is talks about beg the first to e out a TV documentary.

England legend Gary Leker, 61, said last month he knows of “one or two” gay Premier League players who have been very close to g out. Nearly 25 years after Jt Fashanu took his own life, followg years of homophobic abe, Brish football still has not had another openly gay player the top flight. The armband was never much of a gture, but would have been a small act of fiance at the tournament beg award to Qatar, where homosexualy is punishable by imprisonment and some s, ath.

TWO PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMMAT ARE A RELATNSHIP AND OPEN ABOUT BEG A GAY UPLE

Former footballer Clarke Carlisle, a proment spokman for player welfare, said eight Premier League players had told him they were gay. Consir the se of (heterosexual) Graeme Le Sx, who played for Chelsea and England the 1990s and 2000s and was brand “gay” for admtg he read The Guardian. The clubs and the FA have ma efforts to improve the culture wh iativ such as Kick It Out, which mpaigns agast discrimatn and Football v Homophobia, backed by the FA, which offers support to fans, grassroots teams and top-level clubs.

As the World Cup go on a untry where homosexualy is illegal, many global football fans are havg to reckon wh the sports' soccer remas one of the most popular sports around the world, very few players have been able to e out and enjoy a succsful reer afterwards.

Gay players face prsure om teammat, ownership, ach, and fans over their are some of the men who have e out, fightg those stereotyp, and pavg the way for LGBTQ+ athlet who e after them. Rogers me out as gay 2013, beg the first out gay man to pete a top North Amerin pro sports league when he played for the LA Galaxy that same year.

WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE

At least 20 footballers Premier League and Champnship are gay but they're aaid to e out says ex-club bossOpenly gay Leeds Uned director David Haigh says players nfid him - and he believ clubs uld benef mercially if stars e outDavid Haigh durg his time at Leeds UnedAt least 20 football stars are gay and “aaid” to e out, a top club’s ex-director claims. He spoke out after Belgium fenr Carl Hoefkens told how he had played wh two Premier League footballers who were gay but publicly ‘ the closet’.

Dad-of-two Hoefkens, 39, who played for Stoke and Wt Brom om, told Belgian newspaper De Zondag: “I played alongsi three gay footballers, cludg one who was a genuely big name. ” Mr Haigh was ntacted by gay players om different top flight clubs, but adms was difficult for them to go public about their sexualy.

AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS

Now, has been revealed that two Premier League teammat are a gay an exclive story by The Sun, the two Premier League footballers are reportedly open about beg a gay relatnship, at least as far as the drsg room go. Earlier this month, the Qatari ambassador to the UK had warned same-sex upl not to kiss public if they will travel to watch the World, World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman ed outrage last week after sayg that beg gay is tantamount to havg "damage the md. This is why the possibily of havg two active Premier League players speak up about beg gay is such an important topic for the LGBTQ+ muny at the moment.

There are mours about other gay players, but remas to be seen if they will e out publicly while still nversatns about the topic will surely ntue to the World Cup, pecially wh thoands of spectators flockg to Qatar to enjoy the event. A giant mural of England's first openly gay footballer has been unveiled on the si of a Fashanu remas the only male profsnal player to nfirm he was homosexual - amid fears he would be "outed" by a natnal newspaper 1990 - and was ducted to the footballg Hall of Fame spe now beg seen as an spiratn the fight agast homophobia and discrimatn sport, the proud Canary took his own life 1998 - wrg his suici note that beg gay and a personaly was "so hard" former Norwich Cy striker, who beme the UK's first black £1m player when he was sold to Nottgham Fort, ntu to be seen as a legend at the Norfolk Champnship "wonr strike" agast Liverpool at Carrow Road 1980 went on to w Match of the Day's goal of the season now his face has taken pri of place on the si of a Canari supporters pub. England star Conor Coady believ a top level player g out as gay would be accepted a drsg room but lled for more work to be done tacklg homophobia , who recently signed for Leicter Cy om Wolv, won the Football Ally Award the 2021 Brish LGBT Awards and has been very vol about the is now supportg the Alli Uned, an iative which has seen Jt Eat partner wh Football vs Homophobia a bid to crease LGBTQIA+ clivy wh the grassroots aim is to create hundreds of “ally clubs” through ee urs and workshops and after a Jt Eat survey found that over three quarters (78%) of people om the LGBTQIA+ muny would not nsir playg grassroots football.

PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY

While 90 per cent of grassroots football clubs say they wele anyone no matter their sexual orientatn or how they intify, 18 per cent of the LGBTQIA+ muny said they would not feel nfint playg football bee of ncerns over homophobic and transphobic language addn, 15 per cent ced a lack of feelg weled as a member of the muny as a factor, wh 14 per cent strsg there is not enough nversatn around LGBTQIA+ allyship. While makg my WNBA list and NWSL list, there are about double as many nfirmed straight people as there are nfirmed gay people a league, wh the rt beg unnfirmed eher directn. However, the Premier League, if you aren’t nfirmed gay, you’re probably jt an unknown, bee there were veryyy few nfirmed straight players.

Wh four out gay players on the team, this ranks the middle for gayns, but closer to the top for ter-team romanc, wh Julia Zigtti Olme and Emma Kullberg beg publilly together.

Liverpool players Yana Daniels and Jasme Matthews are datg, and the other two out gay players are also public relatnships wh cute uple photos on their stagrams! Gary Leker says he hop a Premier League player will e out as gay durg the Qatar World Cup to send a strong msage to a host natn where homosexualy remas a crime.

GIANT MURAL ON NORWICH PUB HONOURS JT FASHANU, ENGLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER

” Last year, Alai Uned’s Josh Cavallo me out as gay and said that he knows there are other players “livg silence”, while May, 17-year-old Blackpool player Jake Daniels beme the UK’s first profsnal male football player to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990. Background Former Norwich Cy and Nottgham Fort player Jt Fashanu beme the first openly gay male Brish footballer when he me out an terview wh The Sun 1990. In 2018, then-Mnota Uned FC player Coll Mart announced he is gay, beg at the time the world’s only current openly gay, active male profsnal footballer.

Hzlsperger, who enjoyed stts wh Wt Ham Uned and Aston Villa, revealed he is gay January 2014, a few months after retirg bee of jury problems.

By ITV News Content Producer Alex BleyThe most proment Women's World Cup ever has e to a close wh another USA only did the tournament throw a spotlight on how different the women's game is om the men's, highlighted how different the teams are as the whole tournament, there were at least 41 female players or ach who are openly gay or the male tournament 2018, there were none. Siarly the Premier League, there is not one sgle player who is openly gay or least five members of the Lns are gay or bisexual, pared wh none of England's male a society where gay marriag n take place, and same-sex upl enjoy the same legal privileg as their heterosexual unterparts, the make-up of both football teams is at odds wh Brish society as a w World Cup aga after victory agast NetherlandsSame-sex marriage me to force the UK 2014. Cred: PAAcrdg to the Office for Natnal Statistics, 2017, around two per cent of the populatn intified as lbian, gay or is not that male football only attracts heterosexual mal, or women's football a high rat of lbian or bisexual players, but largely due to the differg atmospher surroundg the two gam.

CONOR COADY EXCLIVE: OPENLY GAY PLAYER AT TOP LEVEL WOULD BE ACCEPTED "WHOUT A DOUBT"

"Conversely " the men's game there's more racism, sexism and homophobia", he abe directed at footballers supportg #Enough social media boyttSterlg: Football Chiefs dog 'nowhere near enough' to solve racism problemRacist abe directed at footballers supportg #Enough social media boyttDr Stefan Lawrence, an expert masculy sport and senr lecturer at Newman Universy Birmgham, agre that women's football has a "different culture" to men's. Cred: Three Lns PriThe fact that there were 41 players or ach at the Women's World Cup who were openly gay or bisexual means that beg so the female game is more of a norm. ""People are wag for an ele male player to e out, " adds Di Cunngham, another -founr of Three Lns this jt creas the prsure that the first male player to announce that he is gay or bisexual, will e unr, she adds.

"It's such a big al for one footballer to e out, that a few need to do at once to take the prsure off, " believ Dr Rachael Bullgham, a senr lecturer at the Universy of Worcter who specialis homophobia women's sport. Cred: PAThe way which male and female players are veloped is also believed to be a factor why female players beg gay or bisexual is more the norm than male ele male players have e through football ami where they have been sce a young age. "It's not bee gay men aren't terted beg profsnal footballers, " he explas, but bee ami are "heteronormative" (where beg heterosexual is the norm) environments.

Cred: PAWhile the male game is "heteronormative", acrdg to Lawrence, the female game is the oppose and "homonormative", he says, meang that players who are lbian or bisexual do not hi their sexuali as they feel that beg homosexual is "much more accepted" until the "heteronormative" atmosphere men's football is broken, by players g out, will ntue to self-perpetuate.

A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 61 OUT GAY PLAYERS THE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE

"They may have veloped a thick-sk breakg down the barriers they already have, " meang g out is one more a seri of hurdl for them to Magrath, a senr lecturer at Solent Universy who specialis homophobia and masculy agre that female footballers may jt see as yet another barrier they mt break down orr to succeed.

Cred: Stonewal FCAnother reason why players may not want to e out is that those at the top of their game will travel around the next men's World Cup is Qatar 2022, a untry which beg homosexual is punishable by up to seven years prison. Players may be fearful about travellg to such untri if they are gay or bisexual, and she adds that their partners might also worry about gog to such untri to support them. Cred: Twter/The FAAll of those terviewed also agreed that the ma factor about why so few male players are openly gay or bisexual is the atmosphere surroundg the game which stems om the stigma historilly attached to the 1967 Sexual Offenc Act crimalised "homosexual acts" between mal aged 21 and over England and Wal and was the first step on a path towards the ongog goal of equaly, did not wipe away prejudic overnight, nor did mean equaly, for example barred two gay men om havg sex a hotel.

"Blackpool forward Jake Daniels speaks exclively on beg the UK's first male profsnal footballer to e out publicly as gay sce Jt talks about g out to his parents, his club, and his team-mat. Of urse I am aware that there will be a reactn to this and some of will be homophobic, maybe a stadium and on social 's an easy thg for people to target.

GARY LEKER SAYS HE KNOWS TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS AND HOP THEY E OUT DURG QATAR WORLD CUPTHE FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER SAID THAT HE KNOW TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN “VERY CLOSE” TO REVEALG THEIR SEXUALYBUZZBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSSPORTBYRUAIRI STT BYRNEDEPUTY EDOR17:51, 14 OCT 2022UPDATED15:31, 2 NOV 2022BOOKMARKGARY LEKER ATTENDS AN EVENG WH GARY LEKER, NVERSATN WH TIM MARLOW OBE, AT THE DIGN MM PARTNERSHIP WH THE WICK ON MAY 24, 2022 LONDON, ENGLAND (IMAGE: DAVID M. BET/DAVE BET/GETTY IMAG FOR THE DIGN MM)SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

Football v Homophobia: "Football v Homophobia would like to ngratulate Jake on takg this step to share his thentic self the men's profsnal game, pecially at such a young age. "There have prevly been players who felt that they had no place the game as out gay men durg their playg reers, but Jake is showg the world that you n be yourself.

Blackpool FC star Jake Daniels has taken the spiratnal step of beg the first male English profsnal footballer to publicly e out as gay over two s.

His terview as part of a posive move towards addrsg fears over negativy and abe followg Alai Uned star Josh Cavallo breakg down barriers as the only gay currently active profsnal player 2021. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher discs Blackpool's Jake Daniels g out as gay - the first UK profsnal footballer to do so publicly sce 1990. Acrdg to rearch fdgs, football supporters would like to see homophobia elimated, believe the FA is not dog enough to addrs the issue, and would feel at ease if a member of their team me out as gay.

MEET THE 16 OUT GAY AND BI FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE NFL’S 103-YEAR HISTORY

Homosexual male players football historyHere is a list of the profsnal male footballers who me out public and announced their homosexualy. Uned and Mnota Uned FC Major League Soccer, and for Richmond Kickers and Hartford Athletic the Uned Football me out as gay June 2018, makg him the only out man any of the big five Amerin sports leagu or any top-divisn profsnal men's natnal soccer, 26, shared the news on Twter, notg he had been openly gay to his iends and fay for years, but never on such a large platform. 'Mart's announcement ma him one of only two openly gay players Major League Soccer - the other beg Robbie Rogers, who retired shortly after his announcement but me back to play Tto was the first player to e out as a gay man, makg the announcement shortly after his retirement said his cisn to e out on an ternatnal stage was ma 'much easier' by the 'kdns and acceptance' om his fellow players.

He released a book named “Comg Out to Play” announced his retirement and sexualy wh a 408-word post on his personal blog, which Rogers wrote, "I'm a soccer player, I'm Christian, and I'm gay. Daily Mail has scribed Anton as the "first high-profile Swedish footballer to announce that he is gay" and as the send active profsnal football player to e out, after English footballer Jt Fashanu 1990.

WHY ARE MORE FEMALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY OR BISEXUAL THAN MALE PLAYERS?

At the Stockholm Pri, he livered a speech nouncg sports homophobia and laid to rt his 2001 airport stated that, "I know that many LGBT people have been the victims of asslts and hate crim.

Cint had been blown out of proportn the orr to fally flh the Frankfurt Airport punch down the toilet: is not the se that I beat up a gay person.

"While Germany as a untry has noticeably bee more and more relaxed about homosexualy recent years, he had also noted there was an unhelpful media obssn wh fdg the first gay footballer. All sorts of well-tend but ultimately unhelpful terventns om heterosexual players – who eher oped that gay players would benef om g out or utned agast – did not exactly fill him wh nfince that this was ed the right former ternatnal, who played the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Champnship, matas that he did not have to lie about his sexualy and that teammat eventually stopped askg about his lack of a girliend. After partg Grimsby Town, Liam went onto play for Selby Town, Brigg Town, Gasborough Try, and most recently Cleethorp Town, who he reprented the 2017 FA Vase Fal at January 2014 Davis bee the UKs hight profile openly gay December 2017, Davis publicly cricized ments ma by FA chairman Greg Clarke that "profsnal players who out themselv as homosexual would be takg a risk.

JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

"Davis urged other homosexual soccer players to e out publicly and not fear a 32-year-old has spoken out enuragg male gay footballers not to worry about g out, sharg his own experienc as part of Uefa’s Equal Game mpaign, to foster greater cln and diversy the midfielr admted receivg abe om opponents, but sists football’s attus to homosexualy are creasgly UrbanMarc Urban, born 4 Augt 1971, is a former German football player. He has spoken publicly about the difficulti that gay footballers’ experience and he is now a spokperson and mpaigner on diversy issu sport and the was sent to a sports boardg school at age 13 and played for the natnal youth teams the 1990s before settlg at send divisn club Rot-Weiss Erfurt.

FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER ENGLAND SCE JT FASHANU: JAKE DANIELS LATT WORLD FOOTBALLER TO E OUT

He is now on the board of You Can Play, an anizatn dited to the fight agast homophobia PterPter liv Balham wh his hband Alan and works as an assistant manager at Boots. He was appoted as a Member of the Orr of the Brish Empire bee of his work batg realized at the age of 10 that he was gay, and alt wh homophobic abe om his schoolmat.

While playg for his lol club, Pter suffered homophobia om other players and was dropped om the first team to the fourth team after one of his teammat found out that he was gay. C., the first gay football club November 2010, he was rmed that he would be appoted an MBE for his work agast homophobia football. It was later announced that he had e out as gay, and that he qu football as a rult of what he scribed as wispread homophobia the football muny.

FORMER PATRTS AND CHIEFS TACKLE RYAN O’CALLAGHAN OUT AS GAY

Berlg's se was ced several tim the upg years, as the nnectn between homophobia and sport was discsed the natnal media now and FashanuJt Soni Fashanu (19 Febary 1961 – 2 May 1998) was an English footballer who played for var clubs between 1978 and 1997. Acrdg to his suici note, fearg he would not get a fair trial bee of his homosexualy, he fled to England where he killed himself London May 1998. You n pick up Ryan O’Callaghan’s tobgraphy, My Life On The Le, which he talks about beg gay the NFL and his llisn urse wh suici, on Amazon by clickg here.

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

From a ep red rner of a blue state, the nflicted young man had cid high school that he would never — uld never — live as a gay man. While the 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive tackle didn’t f any of the gay stereotyp, he cid shortly after g out to himself junr high school that he uld never let anyone else on his darkt secret.

Every utterance of a gay slur or a joke about gay men — and he heard them plenty when he was young — was like a knife to the gut. "If you’re a gay kid and you hear someone you love say ‘fag, ’ mak you thk that their ey you’re jt a fag too, " O’Callaghan told Outsports on a recent vis to Los Angel for his first-ever Pri celebratn. Growg up a nservative area light years away om nearby San Francis, his own views of gay people had been shaped by those off-lor ments and the rare image on televisn showg a gay man he uldn’t relate to.

At his size, few people would spect he was gay, and if he was a football player on top of that, he felt his secret would be buried. Every media image O’Callaghan had seen of gay men had featured chiseled featur and six-packs, so he let his appearance go, beg a "sloppy straight guy. "As long as there are people killg themselv bee they are gay, there is a reason for people like me to share my story and try to help.