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

Contents:

• GAY ATHLETE FOUND HIS NICHE AND HIS HBAND THROUGH ROWG
• THIS GAY LLEGE ROWG ACH HAS HAD 9 ATHLET E OUT TO HIM
• FOR LLEGE ROWG PTA, G OUT AS GAY SHOWED POWER OF THENTICY
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

GAY ATHLETE FOUND HIS NICHE AND HIS HBAND THROUGH ROWG

I have a much different life than what I thought was possible for growg up whout any gay fluenc or role mols. And sce I didn’t have a lot of iends growg up, I assumed that much of what was available did not apply to me bee I am gay. To this day I am still cur why was important to announce to strangers I was gay when walkg to a classroom, a locker room or a dg room.

Whout knowg a sgle thg about beg gay and never havg met an openly gay man, I feared beg gay om as long as I n remember. My experienc told me that was bad to be gay. By the time I graduated llege, HIV transmissn had h s height wh the gay muny.

Still, I had never met an openly gay man or talked to anyone about HIV or AIDS. If I was gay, then the thought of sex translated to a ath sentence.

THIS GAY LLEGE ROWG ACH HAS HAD 9 ATHLET E OUT TO HIM

And if I was gay, I knew I uld blend and hi my achievements. We all took re of each other, looked out for one other, and supported each other ways I thought were not for me bee I was gay. And was then when I first sheepishly showed up at gay night club on a random Saturday night and danced all night the middle of the dance floor wh my ey closed.

As a new gay man, I uld not draw om the same experienc nor make the same jok and still protect my inty. Wrten By Charley Sullivan, openly gay rowg ach at the Universy of MichiganEvery four years, when the Olympics roll around, llege rowg ach get exced.

Men's Pair London, learned to row begng his sophomore year at the Universy of Michigan, where I ach), we are always on the lookout for those guys who may have swam or played basketball or such high school, and who have the right stuff — long arms and legs, big lungs and jt enough sany to try a sport that tras about 100 mut for each mute of petn — to make as a llege, wh other ach, I was ecstatic when the USA Men’s Four won a bronze medal London. Face , as a society, Amerins are generally pdish about seeg men’s crotch, and we thk that showg off your stuff is a sure sign you’re gay.

FOR LLEGE ROWG PTA, G OUT AS GAY SHOWED POWER OF THENTICY

Speedos had bee “gay. Publicly thankg a gay man and feelg flattered that he spent so much blogospace discsg your crotch whout feelg the need to be fensive? Read Sullivan's 2011 article for Outsports about beg an openly gay ach.

But durg his time as a llege stunt, his inty as a gay man is what gave him the most difficulty.

When Malik was home om break as a hman, his parents found pictur of him onle wh other gay people. But I end up kd of dog the plete oppose, and wound up jt beg more gay than ever. The awkward dance ntued until this quarante perd, when Malik vised his parents, and spoke wh his mother and nt about beg gay.

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

One of the biggt issu Malik has faced as a ach me when one of his assistants, who was also his age, started g gay slurs at practice and around LGBTQ team members.

“I didn’t have a gay lear to look up to. Calendar featur 14 members of Warwick Universy Rowg Society all aged between 18 and 21The black and whe imag - the group's fifth chary lendar - feature the buff boys olickg by the River Avon Team are hopg to repeat 2012 succs which saw lendar sell out days wh orrs g om 40 untriFunds om the lendar and other products will go towards Edutnal Actn Challengg Homophobia (EACH)Behd-the-scen vio ptur the energy and mararie of the sportg group Updated: 18:16 BST, 30 October 2013 Advertisement A male universy rowg club is raisg sh for an anti-homophobia chary - by posg naked a mp tongue--cheek buff stunts om Warwick Universy Rowg Society dched their life jackets to strip nu for the artistic photo shoot.

' AUGUST: Calendar aniser Lrie Hulse said: 'Gettg naked wasn't a problem really, we're all good iends, ' The team are hopg to repeat on last year’s naked lendar which saw sold out days wh orrs g om over 40 hunky rowers have already built up an imprsive celebry fan base cludg Stephen Fry, John Barrowman, Boy Gee, Gok Wan and Derren this year the mcular athlet have cid to e their lendar to raise money for a chary which challeng homophobic bullyg om the lendar and other products will go towards Edutnal Actn Challengg Homophobia (EACH) registered chary is workg wh the rowers to velop a programme lled Sport Alli that will see them gog to schools and makg viral aim to help enurage young people who are beg bullied about their sexual inty to ll a natnal helple and speak out about the abe they suffer. OCTOBER (l) and NOVEMBER (r): This year the mcle-bound athlet have cid to e their lendar to raise money for a chary which challeng homophobic bullyg schools Rower Lrie add: 'Supporters wrote to explag their experienc of homophobia and why the stance we were takg meant so much.