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A former Major League Baseball player has come out as gay in a social media post. Former pitcher TJ House was responding to the same-sex marriage legislation passed last week.
House played MLB between 2013-2017 with Cleveland and the Toronto Blue Jays. He now works as a realtor. Last Thursday, he posted a lengthy Facebook message on the subject of love, marriage and sexuality.
“I’ve struggled my entire life with being comfortable in my own skin,” he said. “I have purposefully distanced myself from people for the sake of trying to protect myself. It’s disheartening how one simple thing can change an individual’s opinion of you in a matter of seconds. It has taken me years to wake up every morning and tell myself that you are loved for you, the one that’s deep down inside that you’ve never truly let out.”
Loved as a player, but not for himself
House said he felt loved for his career, but that love was ultimately not enough.
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“Even with all the money, fancy cars, nice clothes and a little tiny bit of fame, I would go home every night wishing I could change. Deep down I wanted something more, I wanted to be loved not for what I did, but who I was.”
He went on to reveal he now has that love. And the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act protects his ability to wed.
“Today’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act protects us to have the same rights and opportunities that each of you have.”
“It allows Ryan Neitzel and I to come together and create something beautiful. It gives me the confidence to get engaged to the person I love (he said Yes!), to marry them. I have a wonderful fiance, who challenges me daily to become a better person. To live life authentically. One who I never deserved but blessed to have. Love you see, it’s for everyone.
“I’m finally healing, and days like today are what helps me continue to grow into the person I’ve been all along, one I’ve locked up for 20-plus years.”
House is one of only a handful of former MLB players to come out, following in the footsteps of Billy Bean and the late Glenn Burke.
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Related: 10 pro baseball players who came out and set the stage for a future gay World Series champ
DCguy
Time for the same old right wing troll account to bring in it’s many screenames to cry that he’s an attention seeker, who cares, or the newest “We’ve moved beyond people having to come out and they shouldn’t do it”.
Anything to preserve the closet.
Pier
Oh how horrible.. so offensive.. trigger warning… im shook… what about everyone else queerty, where is our article? where is our wedding?? cancel culture
greekboy
But, of course, he’s a realtor. Anyway, good for him. I hope he’s happy and has a great life. It’s never too late to become who you really are. Congrats
Donston
It’s almost always “former player” when it comes to the major leagues of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL. But I do recognize the troubles of being publicly “out” when you’re in a major sport. Just like I understand people potentially dealing with questioning or fluidity or internalized phobias or mental health struggles or sussing out the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum. I just wish it wasn’t such a predictable pattern. But congrats to him.
greekboy
But, of course, he’s a realtor. Anyway, good for him. I hope he’s happy and has a great life. It’s never too late to become who you really are. Congrats
Kangol2
Congrats to him and his fiancé. I’m glad he feels comfortable now being publicly out and that he has found someone who loves and with whom he’s able to publicly share his love. More power to both of them and I hope more former and current pro US athletes feel comfortable coming and being out.
I also do hope he and others realize that as important as the Respect for Marriage Act (though weak) is, it was Obergefell v. Hodges, and the YEARS of sustained battle for recognition of same sex marriage, beginning in state courts and eventually legislatures, by LGBTQ activists, that brought us to where we are today.
Lastly, I also hope he and everyone else realizes still how precarious those rights and the push for equality are, and how strongly many in the GQP and on the right-wing want to strip away and harm LGBTQ people.
gjg64
When a current player comes out I’ll buy his jersey, even if he’s a Cub (Cardinals fan here).