Another professional basketball player has come out as gay.
This time, its Chilean athlete Daniel Arcos. Arcos is a 26-year-old small forward for the CD Castro team, which sits among some of the top pro basketball teams within the national league. And now, he is also among a growing group of professional athletes who have come out as LGBTQ.
Arcos shared this information about himself in an Instagram post that went up earlier this week. In the post, which has been translated by OutSports, Arcos shared that he waited a long time to come out.
“A personal challenge with new [rainbow] colors on my shirt, colors that before I looked with shame and that today I decide to wear with pride,” he wrote.
Arcos then shared that fear was the big factor for why he waited so long. But the athlete started coming to terms with his sexual orientation after having a sexual encounter with another man.
“I had feelings of guilt, I felt bad, lonely, as if I had done something really bad,” he explained. “I was afraid to share it with someone and be judged, as I was already doing with myself.”
The basketball player says he then tried to maintain a “normal” lifestyle. He also started to find success in the world of sports. Because of those realities, Acros felt uncomfortably discussing his life with interviewers or potential friends. Eventually, it all became too much for the athlete.
“Many days and nights I had recurring thoughts and was tired, so I decided to love and value myself,” he explained. “It was time to move forward. I began to tell my close friends, then my family, always with the fear of being judged. My sister, mother, father and friends all has the same response: ‘You just have to be happy, I am here for you, the rest does not matter.’”
Being fully aware of his privilege, Daniel Arcos shared that he knows his message may “generate ridicule, discomfort and even hate.” But, he also recognized that the privilege of support from friends, family, and teammates will help him get by. In the end, though, he hopes to help bring change to the world of sports.
On that issue, Arcos may already be successful. At least, from where the Homosexual Movement of Integration and Liberation (MOVILH) stands. Being Chile’s leading LGBTQ rights group, MOVILH’s opinion that Acros is “making a significant contribution to other players who may find themselves in a situation of grief or pain for not being able to reveal who they are,” is powerful.
Arcos then later shared an Instagram picture of himself smiling and posted the additional message, “Thank each of the messages of support, signs of affection and respect. The tranquility that I have with myself is incredible.”
Thank you to Daniel Arcos for sharing his truth. We hope there are more happy memories in store for him in the future.
Source: Instagram, OutSports
