Two Great Reasons To Be An Athletic Supporter

Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL when he signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2014. President Obama called him to say “From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are.”

Michael Sam was cut from the Rams’ roster and later signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. But then he announced his departure from the Alouettes a few days later after playing in one game.

“The last 12 months have been very difficult for me, to the point where I became concerned with my mental health. Because of this I am going to step away from the game at this time,” He expressed on his twitter.

Happily, Michael Sam’s latest tweets are both upbeat and forward looking …

While the less enlightened will associate Michael Sam and his ex-boyfriend for the kiss that launched a thousand icks, I believe history will recall him as the trailblazer who broke the gay glass ceiling in big time sports. Had Michael Sam not done what he did, Mason Darrow might not have had the strength to do what he just did.

Mason Darrow is a 6-foot-5, 285-pound freshman offensive lineman for the Princeton Tigers. He was the last one you might suspect of being gay. Living an unauthentic life soon interfered with all aspects of his life, on the field and off.

“I felt trapped. I wasn’t happy. I wanted to tell people, but I thought there would be a lot of animosity. There are a lot of guys from the South on the team. I wasn’t sure how people would react to it. I knew this had to happen eventually, so it might as well happen now. Might as well rip off the Band-Aid.”

 
Michael Sam was one of the first. Mason Darrow is the latest. All of those brave LGBT athletes in between, and all of those that will follow do something very important. Every time someone who doesn’t fit the conventional “gay stereotype” comes out, they make it easier for the rest of us who do.

Game On!

The complete interview of Mason Darrow with Cyd Zeigler of OutSports is a worthwhile addition to your reading list.

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Tags: coming out, gay athletes, gay football players, Mason Darrow, Michael Sam