Brad Thorson, former college and NFL footballer comes out after years of struggling with his identity. On his blog, Brad posted a note sharing his story as a gay athlete.
"I’m also an athlete. For years, I struggled to unite these two identities in my own mind. Not until after my professional athletic career came to an end did I allow myself to understand my sexuality. Now, three years later, I’m finally ready to share that with people."
"If not for the strength of athletes like Jason Collins, Michael Sam, and Brian Sims, I would likely still be struggling with my own cognitive dissonance. Each of their stories reinforced the truth that there is nothing wrong with being a competitive athlete and gay. Just as their stories helped me come to understand and accept myself, I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I hope to help someone else to understand his or her identity as a gay athlete" said Thorson.
Although Thorson finished his professional career, his coming out is a valuable element to the LGBT equality movement in sports.