Kev Maxen be first male ach a US men’s pro sports league to publicly e out as gay | CNN

Contents:

• WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• PRO STRONGMAN CHAMPN ROB KEARNEY OUT AS GAY
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• IS THE BODYBUILDG INDTRY GAY FOR PAY? BODYBUILDG TROLL VCE GOODM TAK SHOTS AT NICK TRIGILI
• MCULAR GAY MEN STOCK PHOTOS AND IMAG
• JAGUARS STRENGTH ACH IS FIRST MALE ACH A MAJOR US-BASED PRO LEAGUE TO E OUT AS GAY

WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS

When Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop me out this week, was the first time an active player unr ntract to an NHL team had ever publicly acknowledged they were gay. Overnight, Prokop's announcement doubled the number of out gay athlet currently playg the untry's four major men's sports — football, basketball, baseball and hockey. They also highlighted the arth of openly gay players the hypermascule world of U.

Though many retired former players have e out, is more unual for male profsnal athlet to say they are gay while still playg. Gay male athlet face cultural barriers Part of the reason for the lack of out gay players men's profsnal sports uld be that there are jt fewer of them the game. Rory Magrath, a rearcher at Solent Universy England, has suggted that 's possible gay men are unrreprented profsnal sports.

"Gay men are a fe rource, so they n't exist great numbers every quarter, " Magrath told "Gay men are overreprented some areas, and as a nsequence are gog to be unrreprented sports. That uld be due to the mascule culture at the center of the major sports, experts say, creatg an environment that is ls welg to gay athlet. Magrath helped thor a study that found that male athlet who me out as gay while still playg sports were largely met wh acceptance by their teammat.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Robbie Rogers ma history 2013 when he took the field for the Los Angel Galaxy after as the first openly gay player profsnal U.

NBA player Jason Colls, who me out 2013 while he was still playg the league, later told NPR " went great" when he scribed the perd after announcg he was gay.

PRO STRONGMAN CHAMPN ROB KEARNEY OUT AS GAY

After Michael Sam beme the first openly gay athlete to be drafted to the NFL 2014, then-Miami Dolphs safety Don Jon tweeted "horrible, " rultg penalti and a spensn.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

David Kopay, a former NFL nng back who me out 1975, was unable to land a profsnal achg job after he announced publicly that he was gay.

IS THE BODYBUILDG INDTRY GAY FOR PAY? BODYBUILDG TROLL VCE GOODM TAK SHOTS AT NICK TRIGILI

There are key differenc the cultur of men's and women's athletics While few active players the major men's sports leagu have e out, many female profsnal athlet have said publicly that they're gay, om U. Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual.

Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player league history to announce that he is gay 2021. Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. Rob Kearney is the first self-acknowledged gay man to be actively petg pro-level, ternatnal strongman petn.

But to be the first 'gay" somethg n be jt as ighteng as n be posive. "People need to know that one of the top strength athlet on the pla is also gay. "I am also a gay strength ach.

MCULAR GAY MEN STOCK PHOTOS AND IMAG

" I have been achg the bodybuildg and petive world for over 15 years, and am not only ually the only queer ach the arena, but often the only out gay man a given ntt. While may take a heterosexual du a ltle analysis to beg to see the them, to a gay guy the msag blare like bullhorns our ears.

Those associatns get turned up loud for gay men like Rob and me, makg the landspe require a ft step to navigate. But few other tegori is tra-male tst more lite than between a gay man and a heterosexual man. Too often, a gay man who gas timacy wh other men is unfairly and rrectly seen as predatory; he is somethg for heterosexual men to avoid.

This subtle distst is a mon and rrect stereotype to which many men still bd their evaluatn of gay guys. Even gay men themselv often fd spect should a gay peer have a ep bond wh a heterosexual man. I have had many men over the years gravate away om my achg or assistance, ma unfortable wh the ia that a gay du is mentg on their physique.

JAGUARS STRENGTH ACH IS FIRST MALE ACH A MAJOR US-BASED PRO LEAGUE TO E OUT AS GAY

"If a gay guy is workg wh bodybuilrs, " I once read an ugly email about me, "you know the real reason is he's jt tryg to get their pants. I am proud that I am "the gay du who ach heater dus a super macho set of pursus. The man scribed himself not only as dislikg gay people, but actually outright anti-gay.