David Testo, a free agent MLS player, is the first openly gay American soccer player. On November 10, Testo revealed his sexual orientation in an interview on CBC Radio-Canada. His family, teammates, and the Montreal Impact organization (his former team) all knew of his status but he had yet to reveal it to the public. Even though he was accepted among those who knew, he still didn’t feel like he could share it with the public until now and he regrets that he didn’t come out earlier.
Testo’s story shows that there are many obstacles in the way of a player coming out. Some might argue that there the fear of acceptance in the locker room is what obstructs gay athletes from revealing themselves, however Testo already had that acceptance and still felt like he couldn’t come out to the public. The pressure of public opinion weighs so heavily on gay athletes that they feel the need to hide themselves.
The media should give more attention to stories like Testo’s so that other gay athletes can see that they are not alone. With more athletes coming out, it will help pave the way for a future with less discrimination against varying sexual orientations.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/247323/20111110/mls-midfielder-david-testo-openly-gay-american.htm
Kristin Kelly
KIN 577
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