Two weeks ago Mitch Eby told his teammates at Chapman University that he’s gay. He first told his two roommates, then his coach, then his team. He says, in an Outsports interview, that the response from all was supportive.
Eby says his roommates, who are also his teammates, “apologized for what they may have said or done before.”
“They said they fully support me and they’ll stick up for me and have my back no matter what. They were happy that I was able to come out to myself and to them.”
His coach “thought it wouldn’t be a big deal at all to my teammates.”
“He thought they’d say ‘okay’ and move on. It wasn’t a big deal to him whether I told the team or not, but he just said if I wanted to do it, I should do it for myself.”
And then Eby, on the last day of practice before spring break, delivered this speech:
“I came up here today to talk to you guys about something that I’ve been dealing with for quite a while. It’s something personal that I’ve always thought I could just bury away, but I can’t. We live life so worried about how other people view us that we forget about ourselves. I can no longer go on living in fear, repressing myself because of how society may view me. I can no longer lie to my friends, family and teammates. It’s time I lived life for myself for a change.
“With that being said, I am ready to share with you all that I am gay.
“It has taken me years to accept myself for who I truly am, so it’s irrational to expect everybody to unconditionally accept me right away. However, the one thing that I hope that I can count on from each of you, my teammates, is your respect. Your respect as a friend, your respect as a teammate, and your respect as a man.
“Being gay may be something that defines me, but it does not limit me. It is such a small part of who I am. I am the same person you all know, no different than before. I’m still the kid that is obsessed with pretty much anything having to do with sports, I’m still the kid that some of you love to call stupid nicknames like ‘mom’ and ‘hot dog,’ and I’m still someone who will continue to go out there every day and push myself and push my teammates to be the best football team around. I am your teammate, I am your classmate and I am your brother. And I know that my brothers will continue to stand by my side, no matter what.”
Outsports reports that “the team erupted in applause.”
As the team gathered for dinner, various teammates hugged Eby, thanking him for sharing himself and trusting them. One teammate even called Eby his “hero.”
If the name Chapman University rings a bell and you can’t remember why, maybe the name John Eastman does too. John C. Eastman is a law professor at Chapman. He is also the chairman of the board of the the National Organization For Marriage (NOM).
Congratulations to Mitch, to your team and to your university.
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Image of Mitch Eby via his Facebook page