Coll Mart is U.S. soccer's only openly gay male player, and he's workg to make the game more clive for future LGBTQ+ players - ESPN

Contents:

• COLL MART IS U.S. SOCCER'S ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER, AND HE'S WORKG TO MAKE THE GAME MORE CLIVE FOR FUTURE LGBTQ+ PLAYERS
• COLL MART SAYS HE HAD MIXED FEELGS WHEN HIS TEAM FORFEED A GAME AFTER HE WAS LLED AN ANTI-GAY SLUR
• COLL MART, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYER, SAYS, 'I'M GAY'
• SAN DIEGO PRO SOCCER TEAM FORFES GAME AFTER GAY PLAYER ALLEGEDLY LLED A SLUR
• COLL MART JT BEME THE ONLY OUT GAY MAN MAJOR LEAGUE SPORTS
• MNOTA UNED'S COLL MART OUT AS GAY

COLL MART IS U.S. SOCCER'S ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER, AND HE'S WORKG TO MAKE THE GAME MORE CLIVE FOR FUTURE LGBTQ+ PLAYERS

Moments earlier, an opposg player targeted Mart, an openly gay man, wh a homophobic slur, and as they gathered unr a tent at halftime, they discsed how to team was agreement: Somethg need to be done.

"Flemmgs was later spend for six gam by the league, and he nied g an anti-gay slur toward Mart. "Beg able to have a posive msage e out of a really tough suatn was the silver lg, " he the only openly gay men's profsnal soccer player the Uned Stat -- and one of the few who have ever e out globally -- Mart has e to embrace the signifince of what he reprents, pecially for the LGBTQ+ muny. Play1:48Coll Mart: Locker room support was all I needSan Diego Loyal midfielr Coll Mart says the support om his old teammat at Mnota Uned was a big help to him when he me out as gay.

COLL MART SAYS HE HAD MIXED FEELGS WHEN HIS TEAM FORFEED A GAME AFTER HE WAS LLED AN ANTI-GAY SLUR

Around those years, havg to hi, havg to remd myself that like, 'Oh, my bt iend on the team, who jt lled another person a f----t, he isn't really homophobic, but he is jt tryg to be hurtful to that person. "Mart is not unique that he didn't have ach who were willg to step to put an end to homophobic language when was ed. For a long time, though, Coll Mart lived wh the fear of beg outed as gay.

Mart actually endured ltle homophobia the profsnal game, though. Countls others were proud of Mart too, though, when he me out publicly durg Pri Month June 2018, makg him the only openly gay sportsman any of the big five Amerin sports leagu (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS), and the only openly LGBT male player a top-flight natnal champnship profsnal soccer.

COLL MART, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYER, SAYS, 'I'M GAY'

Major League Soccer midfielr Coll Mart me out Friday as a gay man, announcg his sexualy publicly for the first time, though he said had been known for years by fay, iends and, 23, ma the announcement on social media hours before his club, Mnota Uned FC, was schled to host FC Dallas for s “Pri Match” support of the LGBTQ+ muny. “Today, I’m proud that my entire team and the management of Mnota Uned know that I am gay, ” Mart wrote a msage on Twter. ”“I thk for a while I’ve been hant about postg on social media, but look around — I’m the only out gay athlete the five major [U.

The fact is, there aren’t enough profsnal athlet that are good role mols for kids that are growg up that are gay.

June is Pri month, and I am proud to be playg for Pri, and to be playg as an out gay man. Robbie Rogers announced he was gay 2013 and retired immediately; three months later, he announced his return to the game and was acquired by the Los Angel Galaxy. When an opponent lled pro soccer player Coll Mart an anti-gay slur the middle of a match, his team walked off the field and forfeed.

SAN DIEGO PRO SOCCER TEAM FORFES GAME AFTER GAY PLAYER ALLEGEDLY LLED A SLUR

“Growg up as a kid, pecially high school when I thought I was potentially gog to have to hi this big fact that I was gay and still try to progrs sport, the last thg I wanted was anyone to know I was gay, and jt have my sexualy impact my abily to play. The Loyal walked off the field prott when a player on the Phoenix Risg lled Mart a homophobic slur September 2020.

The San Diego Loyal walked off the field prott Wednday night, sayg a Phoenix Risg player ed an anti-gay slur directed at openly-gay midfielr Coll Mart.

“I don’t thk there’s a better pated picture of allyship and straight teammat supportg a gay teammate, ” he said.

COLL MART JT BEME THE ONLY OUT GAY MAN MAJOR LEAGUE SPORTS

Though he publicly me out 2018 when he played for the Mnota Uned — beg the send out active gay player MLS history — Mart says many of his teammat knew he was gay for years. He equented gay bars while playg Washgton D. “What’s been really special about San Diego — large parts Mnota as well — my teammat all knew I was gay for the most part when I signed wh the team, ” he said.

“From there, they were able to get to know me, and actually ask me qutns, and engage wh the fact that I’m gay. Though out athlet report wispread and ep acceptance om teammat, sual homophobia is still prevalent locker rooms and among fans.

Coll Mart, a soccer player for Mnota Uned, announced on Twter Friday that he is gay, beg the only openly gay male player any of the major North Amerin sports leagu. It's an important night for me — I'll be announcg that I am an openly gay player Major League Soccer, " the player an exclive terview wh NBC News, Mart said his teammat already knew that he was gay before he me out publicly.

MNOTA UNED'S COLL MART OUT AS GAY

”In an terview wh NBC News, Hudson Taylor, the executive director of Athlete Ally, a group that aims to end the homophobia sports, said Mart jos a select group of male profsnal athlet who me out publicly.

“We n still unt the number of current or former openly gay athlet on pretty much two hands, ” he said. “Sport teach a very narrow fn of masculy and femy, " Taylor said, "and if you don’t nform to that very narrow fn, you’re gonna be met wh a culture that a lot of homophobic, sexist language, and as a rult is not perceived to be a very acceptg space. "We know there’s a dropoff on the llegiate level and the profsnal level” of gay players, he are g out at younger ag now, he said, but many current players are most likely still closeted.

The San Diego Loyal of the USL Champnship soccer league walked off the field and forfeed their game Wednday night after openly gay Loyal player Coll Mart was allegedly lled a homophobic slur by an opposg player. “In the first half a member of Phoenix Risg ed a homophobic slur directed at Coll Mart. “Last week we ma loud and clear that we do not stand for racism or homophobia.