一:U.S. Soccer Player Robbie Rogers Comes Out, Steps Away From Game(節錄)
Posted February 15, 2013 1:18pm by Slade Sohmer
“In today’s society being different makes you brave.” –Robbie Rogers
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Robbie Rogers, the winger who played 106 games for the Columbus Crew and had 18 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team, announced he is walking away from soccer at age 25.
Rogers wrote on his personal blog on Friday that it’s time to “discover myself away from football.”
The decision is part and parcel of Rogers’ summoning the ample courage necessary to publicly display his true self, coming out as gay.
As someone with experience in these matters, this sentence struck me the hardest: “Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay.”
Many of you might think the reason most gay men who don’t come out until later in life fear public rejection, fear being shunned by family and friends, fear losing status, and that may be the case. But for many, it’s also the fear of suddenly changing the story of your life, fear of looking like a liar, fear of saying “I am not the person I’ve made myself out to be.”
But it’s never too late, and kudos to Rogers for not only speaking his own truths but doing this on his terms. He’ll be missed from the game, but the game isn’t even remotely important right now. While we wait for the world’s first openly gay athlete still playing a major sport, we salute the ones who are living life as they want to live it, doing right by themselves.
“My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended,” he wrote. His creator certainly created something adorable:
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Robbie Rogers/Instagram
二:Robbie Rogers comes out as gay, retires
By mobi117 on February 15, 2013 | From anewsfuse.blogspot.com
Former Columbus Crew and United States midfielder Robbie Rogers has come out as gay and announced his retirement effective immediately.
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Robbie Rogers announced his retirement from soccer after revealing his sexuality.
The 25-year-old American, who played for Leeds United and left League One side Stevenage last month, wrote on his blog that he had been afraid of revealing his sexuality - but that he is now leaving football.
Rogers, who won 18 caps for the United States men's national team, wrote: "Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay.
"Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.''
He added: "Now is my time to step away. It's time to discover myself away from football.''
"Much love and respect for you," tweeted USA forward Herculez Gomez. Women's national team superstar Abby Wambach, Chivas USA's Juan Agudelo and Los Angeles Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez also weighed in. "Couldn't be happier for you!" wrote Wambach.
Eddie Pope, a three-time World Cup defender for the United States men's national team added: "Brave men like you will make it so that one day there's no need for an announcement. That day can't arrive soon enough."
No British-based professional player has come out since ex-Norwich and Nottingham Forest striker Justin Fashanu in 1990. He committed suicide eight years later aged 37. There has been a thawing of attitudes to the prospect of gay players in Britain in recent times, however.
Last month, West Ham winger Matt Jarvis became the third footballer to feature on the cover of the UK's best-selling gay magazine, Attitude, after David Beckham and Freddie Ljungberg. Although not gay himself, Jarvis insisted gay footballers should feel comfortable enough to come out.
Meanwhile, Clarke Carlisle, the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), said last year he had been engaged in discussions with eight gay players but none of them wished to go public.
Robbie Rogers, who played at the Beijing Olympics with the U.S. soccer team, confessed being gay. He won the North American League (MLS) with Columbus in 2008 and scored two goals for the U.S. senior national team.
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U.S. midfielder Robbie Rogers stuns soccer community with gay confession
American midfielder Robbie Rogers who gathered 18 national selections (2009-2011), has disclosed in a blog post on Friday that he is a homosexual and announced his retirement from football at only 25. “I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my goal, my identity. Football hosted my secret and gave me more joy than I could hope for. But it’s time to get away and discover myself away from this sport. During these 25 years I was afraid to show who I really am, I was afraid of being judged and rejected, afraid that my relatives will split from me, afraid that my secret won’t not allow me to fulfill my dreams. I realized that I can truly appreciate life only after being honest. My secret is no more a secret, now I am free and I can go forward and live my life as God created it for me,” said Rogers.
Rogers, who participated in the Beijing Olympics with the U.S., claimed the North American League (MLS) in 2008 while performing for Columbus team (2007-2011) and netted two goals for the United States senior national team. He began the 2012-2013 season for Leeds in the Second English League, then was loaned to Stevenage in the third league. According to the Los Angeles Times, no American has continued to evolve into a major professional sports team after admitting sexual orientation.
福利:出櫃的博文&Robbie私人照
Robbie Rogers:The Next Chapter
Things are never what they seem… My whole life I have felt different, different from my peers, even different from my family. In today’s society being different makes you brave. To overcome your fears you must be strong and have faith in your purpose.For the past 25 year I have been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. Fear that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret. Fear that my secret would get in the way of my dreams.
Dreams of going to a World Cup, dreams of The Olympics, dreams of making my family proud. What would life be without these dreams? Could I live a life without them?Life is only complete when your loved ones know you. When they know your true feelings, when they know who and how you love. Life is simple when your secret is gone. Gone is the pain that lurks in the stomach at work, the pain from avoiding questions, and at last the pain from hiding such a deep secret.
Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined… I will always be thankful for my career. I will remember Beijing, The MLS Cup, and most of all my teammates. I will never forget the friends I have made a long the way and the friends that supported me once they knew my secret.
Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football. It’s 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended.