Gus Johnston Comes Out

Australian ex-hockey star Gus Johnston has come out, and has quite a bit to say about it. In fact, he recorded a twelve-minute coming out video where he talks about coming out, failing to come out while still playing hockey, and the culture of machismo in the sporting world.

For twenty years, I worked extremely hard to become the best hockey player I possibly could--but also to be the best man I could be...So I fought and worked very hard to build a reputation that would provide a role model for others. [But] I never once stood up to anyone who spoke about someone behind their backs--talking about someone who they thought was a lesbian or talking about them in a joking way...I never stood up to my teammates...So I'm complicit.

Johnston speaks movingly about his love of hockey, and the seemingly irresolvable tension between his devotion to his sport and growing sense of himself as a gay man:

It never crossed my mind -- it was never an option in my mind that I would ever leave the sport. But when you're 25 and you're afraid and you're lonely, and you don't have anyone to talk to, and you feel like there's no escape from that ... then, it's not something that I'm proud of, but for a long time, there would barely be a week that would go by when I didn't contemplate taking my own life.

Welcome out, Gus.
We all choose when and where we come out, and how we choose to do so. It makes no difference to the rest of us the hows and the whys of your coming out, we're just happy that you can now live openly and honestly.
That's really what it's about.
Well, that and the obligatory Welcome Out Toaster Oven and copy of The Gay Agenda from Homo HQ!


You can see his full coming out video, and get his email address that he shares at the end,  at Towleroad.