In search of a gay soccer hero: The Secret Footballer on homophobia | CNN

Contents:

• GAY SOCCER STAR ROBBIE ROGERS: LIVG CLOSET 'CREAT THIS MONSTER SI YOU'
• ROBBIE ROGERS EARLY LIFE\NROBERT HAMPTON ROGERS III WAS BORN ON MAY 12, 1987, RANCHO PALOS VERS, CALIFORNIA, U.S. HE WAS BORN TO ROBERT HAMPTON ROGERS II(FATHER) AND THERA ROGERS(MOTHER). ROGER STARTED PLAYG FOOTBALL AT THE AGE OF FOUR AND A HALF.\NAT THE AGE OF SEVEN, ROGERS PLAYED FOOTBALL BOTH THE COAST SOCCER LEAGUE AND SEVERAL HISPANIC LEAGU. ROGERS MA THREE APPEARANC AT THE USL PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE’S FOR ORANGE COUNTY BLUE STAR 2005 AND CID TO ATTEND UNIVERSY THE FALL. \NHE PLAYED ONE SEASON OF LLEGE SOCCER AT THE UNIVERSY OF MARYLAND, ALONGSI JASON GAREY AND HELPED THE TEAM TO W THE 2005 NCAA CHAMPNSHIP. HE SRED SEVEN TIM DURG THE SEASON AT UMD AND ASSISTED FIVE GOALS, EVENTUALLY NAMED ACC ALL-CONFERENCE FRHMAN TEAM AND  SOCCER TEAM OF THE YEAR.\NIN THE SUMMER OF 2006, HEERENVEEN VED  ROGERS TO THE CLUB FOR A THREE- WEEK TRIAL AND THE TRIAL PERD WAS SUCCSFUL, SIGNG TWO YEARS PROFSNAL NTRACT WH DUTCH SI AUGT 2006. ON FEBARY 2007,  HE LEFT HEERENVEEN BY MUTUAL NSENT.\NROBBIE ROGERS CAREER\NAFTER HIS RELEASE, ROGERS RETURNED TO THE USA AND WAS LATER SIGNED BY THE MLS SI COLUMB CREW BEFORE THE 2007 MLS SEASON. ROGERS SRED HIS FIRST GOAL ON JUNE 17, 2007, SRG AN OPENG GOAL THE 3-3 DRAW AGA THE TEAM NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTN. ROGERS SRED 3 TIM HIS TEN APPEARANC FOR THE CLUB HIS FIRST SEASON AND ALSO HELPED HIS TEAM WH ONE ASSIST.\NTHE 2008 SEASON WAS THE BREAKTHROUGH SEASON FOR ROGERS AS A PROFSNAL. HE STARTED THE MPAIGN REGULARLY FOR CREW, SRG HIS FIRST GOAL 4- 3 HOME W OVER CD CHIVAS USA ON 13 APRIL 2008. HE WAS AWARD BY THE MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR GAME WEEK SEVEN.\N CAPTION: ROBBIE ROGERS PLAYG FOR LA GALAXY SOURCE: OUTSPORTS \NREAD: PRENT RELATNSHIP STAT OF BOB HARPER AND HIS GAY BOYIEND ANTON GUTIERREZ\NROGERS PLAYED ALL FOUR MLS CUP GAM WH THE CREW, CLUDG THE FAL, WHERE THEY FEATED NEW YORK RED BULLS 3–1 NOVEMBER 2008 AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER.\NTHE SEASON WAS SUCCSFUL FOR ROGERS, AS HE WAS NAMED THE MLS BT XI TEAM FOR THE YEAR, AND ALSO PICKED UP SUPPORTERS ' SHIELD AND SILVERWARE FOR THE MLS CUP.\NON 2009, ROGER GOT HIS SEND SUPPORTERS' SHIELD TLE AFTER HIS TEAM FISHED THE FIRST POSN THE OVERALL STANDG, FISHG ONE POT AHEAD OF LOS ANGEL GALAXY.\NHIS LAST MATCH FOR THE CLUB WAS A 1- 0 LOSS WH COLORADO RAPIDS THE WILDRD GAME OF THE MLS CUP ON 28 OCTOBER 2011. HE LED THE TEAM WH ASSISTS DURG HIS LAST SEASON WH THE CLUB AND WAS ALSO AWARD THE \" CREW HARST WORKG PLAYER\" AWARD.\NHE MA 138 APPEARANC DURG HIS FIVE SEASONS ON THE CREW AND SRED 17 TIM. AFTER LEAVG COLUMB CREW, ROGERS WAS STRONGLY LKED TO A MOVE TO THE LEEDS UNED CHAMPNSHIP SI. HE SUBSEQUENTLY JOED LEEDS DECEMBER 2011 FOR AN IAL TWO- WEEK TRIAL PERD BEFORE SIGNG A NTRACT JANUARY 2012.\NHE MA HIS BUT ON 18 FEBARY 2012 AND ME AS A 79TH-MUTE SUBSTUTE FOR DONSTER ROVERS A 3- 2 W. HIS 2011-2012 CHAMPNSHIP SEASON WAS ED BY THE JURI, SUFFERG OM HEAD JURY DURG THE MATCH AGAST DONSTER ROVERS AND ALSO SUFFERED OM ANKLE JURY SOON AFTER REVERG OM HEAD JURY.  LATER ON AUGT 23, ROGER JOED LEAGUE ONE SI STEVENAGE ON LOAN AL UNTIL JANUARY 2013.\NROGER MA HIS BUT FOR THE CLUB AFTER TWO DAYS OF SIGNG, G AS A SUBSTUTE THE CLUBS 1-0 AWAY VICTORY. LATER, HE RETURNED TO LEEDS UNED ON JANUARY 15, 2013.\NWHEN HE RETURNED TO LEEDS, ROGERS LEFT THE CLUB WH MUTUAL NSENT AND WAS AVAILABLE FOR EE TRANSFER. HE MA ONLY FOUR APPEARANC, THREE OF WHICH WERE A SUBSTUTE DURG HIS TIME AT THE CLUB.\NROBBIE ROGERS SALARY AND NET WORTH
• ROBBIE ROGERS TAK FIELD AS 1ST OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER U.S. PRO SPORTS MATCH
• GAY SOCCER PLAYER ON COMG OUT PROFSNAL SPORTS
• IN SEARCH OF A GAY SOCCER HERO: THE SECRET FOOTBALLER ON HOMOPHOBIA
• U.S. SOCCER STAR ‘ OUT’ AS GAY
• GAY SOCCER PLAYER ROBBIE ROGERS JOS LA GALAXY AFTER TRA WH FIRE
• ROBBIE ROGERS IS GAY PRO SOCCER PLAYER
• ROBBIE ROGERS, OPENLY GAY SOCCER PLAYER, MAK HISTORIC L.A. GALAXY DEBUT (VIDEO)

GAY SOCCER STAR ROBBIE ROGERS: LIVG CLOSET 'CREAT THIS MONSTER SI YOU'

LA Galaxy soccer star Robbie Rogers changed the face of sports 2013 when he beme the first openly gay athlete the five major North Amerin sports leagu. In his new book, "Comg Out to Play, " he scrib the pa of livg the closet — and an terview airg on TODAY Tuday, he told special rrponnt Maria Shriver what he thks needs to change sports so that every athlete, gay or straight, feels part of the ' good looks and quick feet ma him a fan favore, but the culture of sports left him feelg isolated and ashamed as he secretly stggled wh beg gay.

He qu soccer and gave his support to groups like the Gay, Lbian & Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN). Speakg to young gay men and women, "I realized jt by playg aga on a soccer field, there's a symbol right there that n enurage and give people hope, " he told 2013, Rogers signed wh the LA Galaxy, beg the first openly gay male athlete major league sports. "He's a soccer player first and foremost, who happens to be gay, " agreed Galaxy goalie Brian jt signed a new ntract wh the Galaxy, who are now petg the MLS playoffs.

ROBBIE ROGERS EARLY LIFE\NROBERT HAMPTON ROGERS III WAS BORN ON MAY 12, 1987, RANCHO PALOS VERS, CALIFORNIA, U.S. HE WAS BORN TO ROBERT HAMPTON ROGERS II(FATHER) AND THERA ROGERS(MOTHER). ROGER STARTED PLAYG FOOTBALL AT THE AGE OF FOUR AND A HALF.\NAT THE AGE OF SEVEN, ROGERS PLAYED FOOTBALL BOTH THE COAST SOCCER LEAGUE AND SEVERAL HISPANIC LEAGU. ROGERS MA THREE APPEARANC AT THE USL PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE’S FOR ORANGE COUNTY BLUE STAR 2005 AND CID TO ATTEND UNIVERSY THE FALL. \NHE PLAYED ONE SEASON OF LLEGE SOCCER AT THE UNIVERSY OF MARYLAND, ALONGSI JASON GAREY AND HELPED THE TEAM TO W THE 2005 NCAA CHAMPNSHIP. HE SRED SEVEN TIM DURG THE SEASON AT UMD AND ASSISTED FIVE GOALS, EVENTUALLY NAMED ACC ALL-CONFERENCE FRHMAN TEAM AND  SOCCER TEAM OF THE YEAR.\NIN THE SUMMER OF 2006, HEERENVEEN VED  ROGERS TO THE CLUB FOR A THREE- WEEK TRIAL AND THE TRIAL PERD WAS SUCCSFUL, SIGNG TWO YEARS PROFSNAL NTRACT WH DUTCH SI AUGT 2006. ON FEBARY 2007,  HE LEFT HEERENVEEN BY MUTUAL NSENT.\NROBBIE ROGERS CAREER\NAFTER HIS RELEASE, ROGERS RETURNED TO THE USA AND WAS LATER SIGNED BY THE MLS SI COLUMB CREW BEFORE THE 2007 MLS SEASON. ROGERS SRED HIS FIRST GOAL ON JUNE 17, 2007, SRG AN OPENG GOAL THE 3-3 DRAW AGA THE TEAM NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTN. ROGERS SRED 3 TIM HIS TEN APPEARANC FOR THE CLUB HIS FIRST SEASON AND ALSO HELPED HIS TEAM WH ONE ASSIST.\NTHE 2008 SEASON WAS THE BREAKTHROUGH SEASON FOR ROGERS AS A PROFSNAL. HE STARTED THE MPAIGN REGULARLY FOR CREW, SRG HIS FIRST GOAL 4- 3 HOME W OVER CD CHIVAS USA ON 13 APRIL 2008. HE WAS AWARD BY THE MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR GAME WEEK SEVEN.\N CAPTION: ROBBIE ROGERS PLAYG FOR LA GALAXY SOURCE: OUTSPORTS \NREAD: PRENT RELATNSHIP STAT OF BOB HARPER AND HIS GAY BOYIEND ANTON GUTIERREZ\NROGERS PLAYED ALL FOUR MLS CUP GAM WH THE CREW, CLUDG THE FAL, WHERE THEY FEATED NEW YORK RED BULLS 3–1 NOVEMBER 2008 AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER.\NTHE SEASON WAS SUCCSFUL FOR ROGERS, AS HE WAS NAMED THE MLS BT XI TEAM FOR THE YEAR, AND ALSO PICKED UP SUPPORTERS ' SHIELD AND SILVERWARE FOR THE MLS CUP.\NON 2009, ROGER GOT HIS SEND SUPPORTERS' SHIELD TLE AFTER HIS TEAM FISHED THE FIRST POSN THE OVERALL STANDG, FISHG ONE POT AHEAD OF LOS ANGEL GALAXY.\NHIS LAST MATCH FOR THE CLUB WAS A 1- 0 LOSS WH COLORADO RAPIDS THE WILDRD GAME OF THE MLS CUP ON 28 OCTOBER 2011. HE LED THE TEAM WH ASSISTS DURG HIS LAST SEASON WH THE CLUB AND WAS ALSO AWARD THE \" CREW HARST WORKG PLAYER\" AWARD.\NHE MA 138 APPEARANC DURG HIS FIVE SEASONS ON THE CREW AND SRED 17 TIM. AFTER LEAVG COLUMB CREW, ROGERS WAS STRONGLY LKED TO A MOVE TO THE LEEDS UNED CHAMPNSHIP SI. HE SUBSEQUENTLY JOED LEEDS DECEMBER 2011 FOR AN IAL TWO- WEEK TRIAL PERD BEFORE SIGNG A NTRACT JANUARY 2012.\NHE MA HIS BUT ON 18 FEBARY 2012 AND ME AS A 79TH-MUTE SUBSTUTE FOR DONSTER ROVERS A 3- 2 W. HIS 2011-2012 CHAMPNSHIP SEASON WAS ED BY THE JURI, SUFFERG OM HEAD JURY DURG THE MATCH AGAST DONSTER ROVERS AND ALSO SUFFERED OM ANKLE JURY SOON AFTER REVERG OM HEAD JURY.  LATER ON AUGT 23, ROGER JOED LEAGUE ONE SI STEVENAGE ON LOAN AL UNTIL JANUARY 2013.\NROGER MA HIS BUT FOR THE CLUB AFTER TWO DAYS OF SIGNG, G AS A SUBSTUTE THE CLUBS 1-0 AWAY VICTORY. LATER, HE RETURNED TO LEEDS UNED ON JANUARY 15, 2013.\NWHEN HE RETURNED TO LEEDS, ROGERS LEFT THE CLUB WH MUTUAL NSENT AND WAS AVAILABLE FOR EE TRANSFER. HE MA ONLY FOUR APPEARANC, THREE OF WHICH WERE A SUBSTUTE DURG HIS TIME AT THE CLUB.\NROBBIE ROGERS SALARY AND NET WORTH

He said that when he me out as gay, he expected to be ntacted by other athlet still the closet. "I would tell ach, 'You probably have a gay player, '" he replied.

"For more support and rourc for LGBT youth and their fai, go to:PFLAGGLSEN (Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network)It Gets Better Project#ProudToPlay. Rogers me out as a gay Febary 2013 and beme the send Gay football player the UK after Jt Fashanu 1990. On 26 May 2013, when he played his first match for the LA Galaxy, he beme the first openly gay man to pete a North Amerin profsnal sports league.

ROBBIE ROGERS TAK FIELD AS 1ST OPENLY GAY MALE PLAYER U.S. PRO SPORTS MATCH

Read: Prent Relatnship Stat of Bob Harper and His Gay Boyiend Anton Gutierrez.

Robbie Rogers is married to his gay partner Greg Berlanti who is producer by profsn.

GAY SOCCER PLAYER ON COMG OUT PROFSNAL SPORTS

Rogers be the first openly gay male athlete to pete Major League Soccer. Robbie Rogers beme the first openly gay male athlete to play a pro Amerin sportg match Sunday when he took the field for Major League Soccer’s Los Angel Galaxy durg a rout of the Seattle Sounrs.

Before the game, Los Angel native Jason Colls, a pro basketball player who announced last month that he was gay, tweeted Rogers to say good luck.

IN SEARCH OF A GAY SOCCER HERO: THE SECRET FOOTBALLER ON HOMOPHOBIA

Rogers was troduced as the newt member of the Los Angel Galaxy on Saturday, makg him the first openly gay male athlete Major League Soccer and endg his brief retirement.

Natnal team, had retired om soccer Febary at age 25, announcg then that he is gay. “I kept my secret bee I thought I uldn’t be both a soccer player and a gay athlete, ” Rogers said. Rogers isn’t the only trailblazer for male gay athlet Amerin profsnal sports.

Twelve-year NBA veteran Colls announced he was gay, but he has not played a game sce he ma the announcement. Men's team opens up first TV 15, 2013— -- The last time Robbie Rogers was on a soccer field, he rried a ep and personal secret, one he knew uld stroy his dream of ever playg the game that he jt two months after revealg that secret to the world, Rogers is openg up on the burn of beg gay profsnal sports his first TV Rogers: 'Football Hid My Secret'In a recent terview wh "Nightle, " Rogers said he hid his sexualy all his life so he uld f wh the "macho, macho man" world of soccer. It's beatg up on other guys, " Rogers said the terview, which airs said part of his fear me om hearg gay slurs locker rooms ever sce high 25-year-old former member of the Uned Stat natnal team and profsnal soccer player England walked away om the sport Febary, after g out a letter he posted gave him the strength to fally e out?

U.S. SOCCER STAR ‘ OUT’ AS GAY

"Rogers is nsirg a return to soccer the Uned Stat, which would make him the first and only openly gay player any profsnal men's team he mak that cisn, he recently traveled home to see his tight-kn, nservative, Catholic fay Huntgton Beach, Calif. We also met a new iend who is givg Rogers strength as he opens up about his sexualy, and tri to change attus about gays profsnal sports. "Gay athlet are athlet, " Rogers said.

Homosexual players football rema srce wh Robbie Rogers the latt to e out and then retire.

Abe for a gay player even 2013 would be "tolerable". The show was lled “Round The Horne” and featured a uple of mp homosexual characters who went by the nam of Julian and Sandy – played by Hugh Paddick and Kenh Williams.

GAY SOCCER PLAYER ROBBIE ROGERS JOS LA GALAXY AFTER TRA WH FIRE

The dience loved them and their appearanc beme a highlight of the show thanks to a mixture of “Polari” language – gay slang – and ever more risque double entendr. This was my first exposure to homosexualy and, bee was through humor, ably explaed by my father, meant that the only nfn around the subject me as I wonred why the kids my school playground lled each other “benr” or “queer.

Gays are funny, aren’t they? The fact is that there are lns of gay people all over the world and if you’re a fairly relaxed person like me, well, that’s jt the way is. I’m not a relig fellow any way whatsoever so, where homosexualy is ncerned at least, J Christ is not my barometer.

ROBBIE ROGERS IS GAY PRO SOCCER PLAYER

In football, homosexual players rema srce.

There have been a uple of players who have “e out, ” most recently Robbie Rogers, the former Leeds Uned and Uned Stat forward, who took to his webse to announce that he was gay … and promptly retired om the betiful game at the tenr age of 25. It was unfortunate for football and the gay muny – football is sperate need of a gay in – yet was pletely unrstandable.

Rogers was talkg about a changg room that don’t know that has a gay player s midst. But I’m as certa as I n be that a changg room that do know that has a gay player s ranks would be a very safe place for a gay footballer.

ROBBIE ROGERS, OPENLY GAY SOCCER PLAYER, MAK HISTORIC L.A. GALAXY DEBUT (VIDEO)

It don’t matter whether you are whe, black, straight or gay. You know as well as I do that the abe a homosexual player would receive om “fans” throughout the land would be tolerable. On England’s south ast Brighton – an area wh a large gay muny – the football team and s fans take a fair amount of stick both durg home match and at away grounds.

Julian and Sandy broke down many of the social barriers that existed post-war UK at a time when homosexualy was still illegal. Soccer player Robbie Rogers has "e out" as gay and retired om the game.

He wrote on his blog: "Try explag to your loved on after 25 years you are gay".