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

Contents:

• 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
• MNOTA UNED'S COLL MART OUT AS GAY
• COLL MART, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYER, SAYS, 'I'M GAY'
• THE FIRST OUT, GAY PLAYER MLS HISTORY IS SHOCKED THAT RSL ACH ALLEGEDLY SHOUTED A HOMOPHOBIC SLUR AT A REF
• MNOTA UNED’S COLL MART BE SEND OPENLY GAY MLS PLAYER
• ROBBIE ROGERS RETURNS: GAY U.S. SOCCER STAR COMG OUT OF RETIREMENT, JOG LA GALAXY [UPDATED]
• MLS PLAYER ANNOUNC HE IS GAY AND WANTS OTHER ATHLET TO E OUT TOO
• SEATTLE SOUNRS' MARC BURCH: MLS WILL ACCEPT GAY PLAYERS
• 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
• MNOTA UNED'S COLL MART OUT AS GAY
• COLL MART, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYER, SAYS, 'I'M GAY'
• THE FIRST OUT, GAY PLAYER MLS HISTORY IS SHOCKED THAT RSL ACH ALLEGEDLY SHOUTED A HOMOPHOBIC SLUR AT A REF
• MNOTA UNED’S COLL MART BE SEND OPENLY GAY MLS PLAYER
• ROBBIE ROGERS RETURNS: GAY U.S. SOCCER STAR COMG OUT OF RETIREMENT, JOG LA GALAXY [UPDATED]
• MLS PLAYER ANNOUNC HE IS GAY AND WANTS OTHER ATHLET TO E OUT TOO
• SEATTLE SOUNRS' MARC BURCH: MLS WILL ACCEPT GAY PLAYERS

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

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.

MNOTA UNED'S COLL MART 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. "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.

COLL MART, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYER, SAYS, 'I'M GAY'

Here's a list of those the profsnal and llege baseball world proud enough to wear a rabow p wh their pstrip and e out as gay. An outfielr for the Los Angel Dodgers and the Oakland A's between 1976 and 1979, Glenn Burke beme the first Major League Baseball player to e out as gay to teammat and owners while still active, though the team asked that he keep his sexualy secret om the public and he plied. Two years later, he told Insi Sports that he believed he'd been let go om the Dodgers bee he was gay.

He beme one of few proment gay athlet of the era after that, playg the Gay Gam 1982 and 1986. "They n't ever say now that a gay man n't play the majors, bee I'm a gay man and I ma , " he told The Philalphia Inquirer. @billybeanballThe only livg Major League Baseball veteran who has e out as gay, outfielr Billy Bean played for the Tigers, Dodgers, and Padr over a reer that spanned om 1987 to 1995.

THE FIRST OUT, GAY PLAYER MLS HISTORY IS SHOCKED THAT RSL ACH ALLEGEDLY SHOUTED A HOMOPHOBIC SLUR AT A REF

He me out four years after retirg om the field, and wrote his 2003 book Gog the Other Way: Lsons From a Life and Out of Major League Baseball that the bullyg and homophobic world of baseball led him to walk away om pro ball. "Beg gay don't change anythg about the way I play or teract wh teammat, " he said a team statement released for Pri Month. @_DavidD_41A first baseman for the Helena Brewers, rhe Milwkee Brewers' rookie affiliate team Montana, David Denson 2015 beme the first player affiliated wh Major League Baseball to e out as gay.

MNOTA UNED’S COLL MART BE SEND OPENLY GAY MLS PLAYER

@DunngtonTylerA pcher for rookie and Class A teams affiliated wh the Cardals 2014, Dunngton told Outsports he left pro ball bee of homophobia. "I experienced both ach and players make remarks on killg gay people durg my time baseball, and each ment felt like a knife to my heart, " he said.

ROBBIE ROGERS RETURNS: GAY U.S. SOCCER STAR COMG OUT OF RETIREMENT, JOG LA GALAXY [UPDATED]

"Lookg back, I wish I had told the whole world that I'm gay om day one, " he said. Durg an 11-year mor league reer, John Dillger would vis bear gathergs on the road but kept his gay sexualy secret up until his retirement 2005. @tampaMarkJWhen Mark Johnson and teammat won a champnship for the Universy of Tampa 1998, he still was nial about his gay sexualy, he told Outsports, but he beme more nfint over his adult life.

He cid to talk about beg gay and s impact on his game at age 35. When Tyson Lk, director of baseball operatns at the Universy of South Carola, cid on Natnal Comg Out Day 2016 to publicly reveal he was gay, he beme the first person Divisn I llege baseball to ever e out as LGBT.

An umpire for Major League Baseball most notable for a rather famo row wh Pete Rose, Dave Pallone would eventually be ducted to the first class of the Natnal Gay and Lbian Sports Hall of Fame.

MLS PLAYER ANNOUNC HE IS GAY AND WANTS OTHER ATHLET TO E OUT TOO

He later wrote his 1990 memoir Behd the Mask: My Double Life Baseball that he believed he was fired bee he was gay. A Major League Baseball umpire om 1986 to 1999, Dale Stt me out as gay to Referee Magaze 2014.

SEATTLE SOUNRS' MARC BURCH: MLS WILL ACCEPT GAY PLAYERS

In 2021, mor league baseball player, Bryan Ruby me out as gay. At the time he was the only active baseball player to e out as gay. 19hTom Haton and Jam Olley1dGabriel Lop and Yasm Torr4dSam Marsn and Alex KirklandESPNJun 29, 2018, 11:17 AM ETMnota Uned midfielr Coll Mart announced on Friday that he is, 23, is the only openly gay male athlete active a major profsnal Amerin sports league, after the retirement of LA Galaxy wger Robbie Rogers last wrote a statement on Twter that many of his teammat have long known about his sexualy.

It's an important night for me -- I'll be announcg for the first time publicly that I am an openly gay player Major League Soccer. It's an important night for me - I'll be announcg that I am an openly gay player Major League Soccer. "I have been out as a gay man for many years to my fay and iends, and this clus my teammat.

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

Today, I'm proud that my entire team and the management of Mnota Uned know that I am gay. June is Pri month, and I am proud to be playg for Pri, and to be playg as an out gay man. Open Cup sce the start of told the Star Tribune that he has received "nothg but support" om his teammat, and that he never ma a team-wi announcement that he was gay.

Coll Mart, a soccer player for Mnota Uned, announced on Twter Friday that he is gay, beg the only openly gay male player any of the major North Amerin sports leagu.

It's an important night for me — I'll be announcg that I am an openly gay player Major League Soccer, " the player an exclive terview wh NBC News, Mart said his teammat already knew that he was gay before he me out publicly. ”In an terview wh NBC News, Hudson Taylor, the executive director of Athlete Ally, a group that aims to end the homophobia sports, said Mart jos a select group of male profsnal athlet who me out publicly.

MNOTA UNED'S COLL MART OUT AS GAY

“We n still unt the number of current or former openly gay athlet on pretty much two hands, ” he said.

“Sport teach a very narrow fn of masculy and femy, " Taylor said, "and if you don’t nform to that very narrow fn, you’re gonna be met wh a culture that a lot of homophobic, sexist language, and as a rult is not perceived to be a very acceptg space.

COLL MART, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYER, SAYS, 'I'M GAY'

"We know there’s a dropoff on the llegiate level and the profsnal level” of gay players, he are g out at younger ag now, he said, but many current players are most likely still closeted. Real Salt Lake head ach Mike Petke shouts stctns to his players, durg MLS soccer actn between Real Salt Lake and Atlanta Uned at R Tto Stadium Sandy, Friday, May 24, first Major League Soccer player who ever took the field as an openly gay man was surprised to learn that Real Salt Lake ach Mike Petke reportedly shouted an anti-gay slur at game Rogers, who retired om the Los Angel Galaxy 2017, said he hasn’t followed the Petke cint closely, but that he’s “sort of shocked” that the ach — “the lear of the guys the locker room and the face of the club right now” — would rort to a homophobic slur. ”Rogers said the e of anti-gay slurs “really srs” LGBTQ kids when they hear them at gam.

Neher the league nor RSL has specified exactly what Petke said, but multiple outlets — cludg The Athletic — have reported that the ach shouted a Spanish-language, anti-gay slur at the official.

(In 2013, MLS spend a San Jose player, Alan Gordon, for three gam for g a homophobic slur. ”“They have to be a b harsher wh" homophobic slurs, he said. ”Rogers poted to the fact that MLS clubs have held gay pri nights and supported the LGBTQ muny.

THE FIRST OUT, GAY PLAYER MLS HISTORY IS SHOCKED THAT RSL ACH ALLEGEDLY SHOUTED A HOMOPHOBIC SLUR AT A REF

”In 2018, FIFA fed Mexi’s soccer feratn $30, 000 bee Mexin fans shouted the same anti-gay slur at a World Cup game, and the ach and players took to social media to try to stop om happeng aga. Cocidg wh LGBT pri month celebratns across the world, Mnota Uned’s Coll Mart ma a big announcement that uld have posive ramifitns across all a msage posted across his social media platforms, the 23-year-old publicly me out as gay, beg jt the send player MLS history to do so, followg former U. Sce Rogers retired after last season, Mart is the only publicly gay player the league.

Robbie Rogers is returng to MLS and is set to bee the league's first active openly gay player, as first reported by USA Today Sports. RelatedRobbie Rogers gay athletMLSsoccersportsPopular the CommunyYou May Like. Major League Soccer midfielr Coll Mart me out Friday as a gay man, announcg his sexualy publicly for the first time, though he said had been known for years by fay, iends and, 23, ma the announcement on social media hours before his club, Mnota Uned FC, was schled to host FC Dallas for s “Pri Match” support of the LGBTQ+ muny.

MNOTA UNED’S COLL MART BE SEND OPENLY GAY MLS PLAYER

“Today, I’m proud that my entire team and the management of Mnota Uned know that I am gay, ” Mart wrote a msage on Twter. ”“I thk for a while I’ve been hant about postg on social media, but look around — I’m the only out gay athlete the five major [U. The fact is, there aren’t enough profsnal athlet that are good role mols for kids that are growg up that are gay.

ROBBIE ROGERS RETURNS: GAY U.S. SOCCER STAR COMG OUT OF RETIREMENT, JOG LA GALAXY [UPDATED]

Robbie Rogers announced he was gay 2013 and retired immediately; three months later, he announced his return to the game and was acquired by the Los Angel Galaxy. A player Major League Soccer, Coll Mart, has e out as gay and believ other athlet should feel wele to e out as MLS players offered him their words of enuragement on Twter.

Coll Mart, a player for Mnota Uned Major League Soccer, has publicly announced that he is gay, and believ that other athlet should feel wele to e out. "Today, I'm proud that my entire team and the management of Mnota Uned know that I am gay.

Robbie Rogers played for the Los Angel Galaxy as a publicly gay man. — Some day, an openly gay male athlete will play for a profsnal team. Burch was hand a three-game spensn by MLS last fall for g a gay slur durg a natnally televised playoff game, and will serve the third game of that spensn durg the team's season opener on Saturday agast Montreal (10:30 pm ET, MLS Live).

MLS PLAYER ANNOUNC HE IS GAY AND WANTS OTHER ATHLET TO E OUT TOO

The Sounrs left back has a gay sister and is a former llege teammate of Robbie Rogers, the former Columb Crew midfielr who ma headl a uple weeks ago when he me out. 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.

"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. Here's a list of those the profsnal and llege baseball world proud enough to wear a rabow p wh their pstrip and e out as gay. An outfielr for the Los Angel Dodgers and the Oakland A's between 1976 and 1979, Glenn Burke beme the first Major League Baseball player to e out as gay to teammat and owners while still active, though the team asked that he keep his sexualy secret om the public and he plied.

SEATTLE SOUNRS' MARC BURCH: MLS WILL ACCEPT GAY PLAYERS

Two years later, he told Insi Sports that he believed he'd been let go om the Dodgers bee he was gay. He beme one of few proment gay athlet of the era after that, playg the Gay Gam 1982 and 1986. "They n't ever say now that a gay man n't play the majors, bee I'm a gay man and I ma , " he told The Philalphia Inquirer.