First Active College Footballer Comes out: Will Be “Damned” If He Lets Any Other LGBT Kid Suffer

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Willamette University Oregon Kicker, Conner Mertens asked his coach if  he was a good kicker. To which he replied yes and with that, this followed: 

“I’m bisexual,” Mertens told Fowles. “I like dudes. I have a boyfriend. And next week, I’m going to tell the world.”

Mertens didn’t easily arrive at his decision to come out to his coach or team, let alone publicly. No college football player in the United States at any level has ever come out publicly while still playing. Some have come out to their team, many have come out to friends, but none have said publicly that they are LGBT.

Last night he tweeted a lengthy letter to his hometown in hopes of changing hearts and minds and giving local LGBT youth someone they can point to with pride: “You are not alone. You do not need to come out but you do need to know that you do not have to go at this by yourself. The aloneness you’re feeling is temporary and it will get better. This place is changing…changing for the better. I made the decision that if I could prevent one person from feeling that self-hatred, loneliness, desperation and a thousand other emotions that I felt, I would. I will be damned if I let anyone tell you that you are wrong or weird or not normal. Love yourself and allow others to love you. Be who you are and know you’re not alone.”

I find these stories truly inspiring and LOOOOOVE the strength of our youth. I do find it bit sad too that in 2014 kids are still having issues coming out because of the ignorance and bigotry of the anti-gay scum in this world. i.e. Indiana House politicians. 

Congrats kido!

via Conner Mertens came out to his college football team last night. Now he comes out publicly. – Outsports.

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