Another outing for the sports world: professional baseball player Solomon Bates is gay
And again, an athlete has come out as gay. Solomon Bates has let the world know: Yes, I'm homosexual - and he did it in a very public way via Instagram.
The 25-year-old regularly pitches in the minor leagues and has managed to make a name for himself here - away from his coming out. Now he is in the media not because of his sporting achievements, but rather because of a special statement.
Fans and companions reacted very positively.
Solomon Bates comes out of the closet on Instagram
Outings via Instagram are particularly popular these days. They allow a large number of people to be reached within a few seconds. Professional baseball player Solomon Bates also took this step. For many of his colleagues, however, this step did not come as a surprise. After all, they knew about it officially.
On Instagram, Bates wrote that there was no telling what would happen if he came out as gay in "this sport." But he thanked the Giants for giving him the opportunity to be himself with them. He will not give up what he wants to do, he said.
A strong statement, but also actually proof that his teammates had long known that Bates was attracted to men. They all kept their mouths shut, but also stood behind him at the same time.
Perhaps, to some extent, it was just that kind of backing that showed him what he was doing was right.
Bates wants to encourage other gay athletes to stand by themselves
However, Solomon Bates has not only set out to come out with his post on Instagram. He has another goal. He also wants to encourage other gay athletes to take this step.
In his words, he wants to "open the doors for gay athletes" and definitely continue to play baseball. In this context, he emphasizes that gay men are of course also capable of pursuing this sport. The important thing is that they are given the opportunity to do so. He concludes his post by emphasizing that he has made new friends and wants to continue.
Is there a high underreporting rate of gay athletes?
Again and again, people talk about the fact that there are many male athletes who do not dare to come out - at least during their active career. Especially the "contrast" between "male sport" and "gay man" gives many here food for thought.
Therefore, the probability is high that many unfortunately still do not openly live out their sexual orientation - for fear of a possible career end.
However, postings like that of Solomon Bates also show that there are more and more "breakouts" within the active sports scene who no longer feel like hiding. And every outing that is NOT answered with a career end, but with the support of fans and teammates, should ensure that more people will admit their homosexuality in the future.
Indeed, there is one particularly positive statistic to admire in this context: Athletes who have managed to stand by themselves usually emphasize time and again that the reactions to their outing were motivating and supportive. And that is exactly what every person wants - regardless of whether they are active in sports or not.