Danish handball player Villads Raahauge Jensen comes out as gay
Villads Raahauge Jensen came out in an Instagram post. (Instagram)
Handball star Villads Raahauge Jensen has come out as gay.
The Danish athlete, 28, made the announcement in an Instagram post on Monday (13 January), saying that saying he was gay “should be easy to say, but for many years I’ve been afraid to be open about”.
He went on to write: “I’ve been thinking of posting a post like this for a long time, and have been thinking if this was the right way to come out. But there is probably no right or wrong way.”
Handball is his priority in his life, he added, and this was, in part, was one of the largest barriers to coming out because he feared it could change “the whole narrative of who I [am] as a person”.
Jensen’s post continued: “I’ve been terrified about how people, teammates, coaches and anyone around handball would react. Would they look at me any different? Would they think I was wrong? Would I no longer be a part of the team, in the same way I was before?”
According to news outlet Omni, Jensen messaged his news to Lugi HF teammates, and “everyone was supportive, giving him high fives and pats on the back.” He was described as a “strong and unique” force in Danish handball. The team plays in the second-tier of the Swedish Allsvenskan league.
“In many ways, I wish I had had the courage to jump sooner,” Jensen said. “When I told the club and my teammates last week, it was only received positively.
“Although my closest friends have known for some time, and my family has always known, it’s still scary to tell something you’ve kept a secret for so long. Hiding a large part of who you are from almost all people, [means] you can never really be 100 per cent yourself.”
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