Boxer Orlando Cruz Coming Out as Gay Is Awesome, But It Won't Lead to a Flood of Out Athletes

What Cruz did is awesome, and he will be a role model; every athlete who comes out is. But this doesn't mean we will see a parade of fighters (or other athletes) coming out. It doesn't work that way. For anyone, coming out is an intensely personal decision.
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Every time an athlete comes out as gay, we at Outsports get asked what it means. My answer is usually along the lines of: "It's great news, but don't expect a flood of athletes to come out." This is how I feel about the news that featherweight boxer Orlando Cruz became the first openly gay pro boxer.

"I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career," Cruz told USA Today. "I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man."

What Cruz did is awesome, and he will be a role model; every athlete who comes out is. But this doesn't mean we will see a parade of fighters (or other athletes) coming out. It doesn't work that way. For anyone, coming out is an intensely personal decision, and 1,000 people will have 1,000 different coming-out stories. Many of these stories will share common themes, but we all make our decision based on family, friends, career, geography, and myriad other factors unique to our lives.

Out athletes can spur some to step forward. Outsports ran a story on former Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy coming out, and this led a gay former Minor League Baseball player to contact me and tell his story. (It will be published soon.) But these are more the exception than the rule.

Boxing should thank Cruz for his honesty and bravery, and I hope it embraces him. The sport has become irrelevant on the American sports landscape, with people much more into mixed martial arts. Normally, a minor title fight between two featherweights in Florida would attract zero attention, but I guarantee that people will follow Cruz's Oct. 19 bout against Jorge Pazos. The UFC has talked about having an openly gay fighter, and a boxer beat them to the punch.

It took huge courage for Cruz to come out in a violent sport like boxing, and it will lead others to question whether they have what it takes to be out and proud in their sport. If even one more athlete -- or non-athlete -- is inspired to follow his lead, he will have made a difference. On this count, Cruz is a champ in my book, whether he wins in the ring or not.

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