stwistofaith: Rogers first openly gay MLS player

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By Eliott C. McLaughlin and Jill Martin, CNNMay 27, 2013 -- Updated 2134 GMT (0534 HKT)if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(23);expGalleryPT00.setAdsRefreshCount(3);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Photos: Openly gay athletes", 1);

Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to play in a professional American sporting match May 26 when he took the field for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy during a match against the Seattle Sounders. Take a look at other openly gay athletes.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"Photos: Openly gay athletes"} "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation," NBA player Jason Collins said in a Sports Illustrated article. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"Photos: Openly gay athletes"}

Sheryl Swoopes, a retired WNBA star and coach of the Loyola University Chicago's women's basketball team, came out in 2005.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"Photos: Openly gay athletes"}

Brittney Griner, selected No. 1 in the 2013 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury, is openly gay. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

In an exclusive interview with CNN, former San Francisco 49ers player Kwame Harris came out as gay after rumors circulated in the media. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Gareth Thomas of Wales spoke about being gay to a British news channel in 2009. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Justin Fashanu became the first openly gay soccer player in Europe when he came out in 1990. Eight years later, he took his own life. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Tennis great Martina Navratilova came out in 1981.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

After his retirement in 2007, basketball player John Amaechi announced he was gay.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":9,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

After retiring from professional football in 1972, David Kopay acknowledged to the Washington Star that he was gay.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":10,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Villanova University's Will Sheridan came out to his teammates in 2003.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":11,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

In 2012, U.S. women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe confirmed in Out magazine that she was a lesbian.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":12,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Champion figure skater Johnny Weir confirmed in his 2011 memoir, "Welcome to My World," that he was gay.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":13,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Australia's Matthew Mitcham came out in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in 2008.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":14,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

In 2012, Orlando Cruz became the first active professional fighter to publicly announce that he was gay. Editor's note: A previously published photo in this space erroneously identified a different person as Orlando Cruz. CNN apologizes for the error. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":15,"title":"Photos: Openly gay athletes"}

Openly gay British dressage rider Carl Hester helped his team win gold at the 2012 Olympics.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":16,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Cricketer Steven Davies, of Surrey in England, announced he was gay in 2011.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":17,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Germany's openly gay Judith Arndt won the silver medal in cycling at the 2012 Olympics.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":18,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Billy Bean, a former Major League Baseball player, discussed being gay in a 1999 New York Times article. Editor's note: A previously published photo in this space erroneously identified a different person as Billy Bean. CNN apologizes for the error. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":19,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Tennis legend Billie Jean King was outed by a former female partner in 1981.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":20,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

In 2002, professional football player Esera Tuaolo came out on HBO's "Real Sports."cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":21,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo came out in 1999.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":22,"title":"Openly gay athletes"}

Greg Louganis, who won four Olympic golds for the U.S. over his diving career, has been openly gay since 1995.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":23,"title":"Openly gay athletes"} Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"Robbie Rogers takes field as 1st openly gay male player in U.S. pro sports match ");}});NEW: Galaxy provide historic moment as Robbie Rogers takes field for 13 minutes in routRogers becomes the first openly gay male athlete to compete in Major League SoccerFormer winger for U.S. national team came out in February as he announced retirementNBA player Jason Collins has not played since he came out last month

(CNN) -- Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to play in a pro American sporting match Sunday when he took the field for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy during a rout of the Seattle Sounders.

Not to be overlooked in the landmark moment is Rogers' prescience. In remarks to ESPN before the game, he said, "I'm hoping I can come on and it's 4-0 and I can just enjoy myself."

Which is exactly what happened. With 13 minutes remaining in the game, Rogers came in as a substitute for midfielder Juninho with the Galaxy up by four goals.

Emphatic applause erupted from the stands at the Home Depot Center.

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

Rogers said after the game that the experience was "perfect, really perfect."

"The first training session the Galaxy ever had on the Home Depot Center pitch, I was here training," he said. "I've kind of been on this huge journey to kind of figure out my life, and now I'm back here, I think kind of where I'm supposed to be."

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Rogers was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, making him the first openly gay male athlete in Major League Soccer and ending his brief retirement.

Rogers, a former winger for the U.S. national team, had retired from soccer in February at age 25, announcing then that he is gay. However, he still had the passion for the game. He trained with the Galaxy for about a month before making the comeback official.

"After I finally got in here, everything was completely normal, as it should be," Rogers said at his introductory news conference. "Getting back on the pitch was amazing."

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But even though he still enjoys the game, deciding to come back was not easy for Rogers, who said he was afraid to share the secret about his sexual orientation for 25 years.

"I kept my secret because I thought I couldn't be both a soccer player and a gay athlete," Rogers said. "I figured it out that it's not true, but I felt that way. So I was afraid to put myself back into a situation where I felt like I was kind of an outcast or just different than people."

In his career, Rogers also has played for MLS club Columbus Crew from 2007 to 2011, winning the MLS Cup in 2008. He also briefly played for English club Leeds United.

Los Angeles head coach Bruce Arena believes that Rogers will make an impact on the field with his play.

"We've been searching for the last year or two for a player that has the skills to be a flank player, play wide and add a little speed to our club, take on players and a good crosser off the ball with both of his feet," Arena said. "He offers qualities that we've been looking for, so we're hopeful that in time, Robbie will demonstrate the kind of qualities that he has previously in this league."

Rogers isn't the only trailblazer for male gay athletes in American professional sports. Twelve-year NBA veteran Collins announced he was gay, but he has not played a game since he made the announcement. He is currently a free agent.

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stwistofaith

Monday, June 10, 2013

Rogers first openly gay MLS player

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