A hockey player was sick of hearing his teammates’ homophobia. So, he bravely decided to come out to them
Brock Weston with his parents (Twitter)
Gay hockey player Brock Weston was sick and tired of hearing his teammates use homophobic slurs, so he decided to come out to them in a powerful letter.
Weston, 25, will graduate from Marian University of Wisconsin next month and served as a two-year assistant captain on the NCAA Division III men’s hockey team.
But coming to terms with his sexuality was not easy, and was made even harder by his teammates insistence on using anti-gay slurs, he explained in an article for Outsports.
After rumours were spread about his sexuality, Weston had a “meltdown” and decided he would have to tell his teammates who he really was.
Last April, three years after he realised he was gay, he told his roommate and coach, and then read a letter to his teammates in which he explained the inner turmoil he had faced.
Gay hockey player Brock Weston was ‘haunted’ for months before coming out.
In the powerful and emotional letter, Weston said that coming out was one of the hardest things he had ever done and said he was “scared” of their reactions.
“This has been my nightmare for years and to be honest this day has haunted me for months,” Brock Weston wrote in his letter.
“To hear the things I hear about people like me from you guys and the hockey community has made this nearly impossible. I just hope you understand: I didn’t choose this, and I hope you won’t turn on me.”
Every guy we’ve ever played against hast been a ‘loser’ or ‘f*****g fag’ or ‘a c**k sucker.
He told his teammates that he felt “judged and uncomfortable” in their presence due to their anti-gay language.
Weston also delved into some of the wider issues around homophobia in hockey, saying children are like “little sponges” who pick up offensive phrases from adults.
“Every guy we’ve ever played against hast been a ‘loser’ or ‘f*****g fag’ or ‘a c**k sucker,” he said.
He also spoke of his regret at not coming out sooner, saying: “I hear the talk. Every. Single. Day. How could I stand up there, in front of you guys and be what you so openly hate?”
“So, imagine growing close to your teammates – ‘brothers’ – and then realising you are what they hate. How do I hide that?
He continued: “Why do I have to hide that? We’ve been friends for at least a year, if not more, and I haven’t changed, I’ve just learned more about myself. Isn’t that what college is for? I’m still the same Brock.”
His teammates accepted him wholeheartedly.
He finished his letter by telling his teammates that his sexuality did not mean he would be “looking around at everyone” during practice. He also acknowledged that anti-gay jokes would likely not stop straight away, but asked his teammates to be “a little more courteous”.
Weston planned to get up and leave the room as soon as he was finished reading his letter, afraid that his teammates would react badly, but he didn’t have a chance.
Before he could make a move, a teammate – one who he was worried would react negatively – told him that he would be loved no matter what, and said his teammates would all have his back.
“Everyone then got up and bro-hugged and we had basically a huge team group hug,” Weston wrote.
He now hopes that sharing his story will empower other people in sport to come out.
“I want to reassure anyone reading this that there are people out there who will love you for you,” he wrote.
