Kevin Maxen, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ associate strength coach, just publicly came out as gay.
Maxen becomes the first-ever publicly out male coach in major American men’s pro sports. He told Outsports,
I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore. I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else.
It wasn’t until recently – and with the immense love and support of my family, my friends, colleagues and peers, and the courage and sacrifice from my partner – that I realized I have the right and responsibility to love and be loved, and that maybe sharing this will hopefully give someone else the strength to accept their own life and take control of their own story.
You have other coaches who have significant others, and they’re talking about their significant others. And I felt guilty that I couldn’t do the same thing, that I was letting myself down. I want the person I’m with to be able to share that with me.
For a while I had such an anger for myself and hatred that I thought was from a fear of what others might think about who I am. But that wasn’t it.
It was an anger and hatred of myself because I put myself in a life where I was living by other people’s rules and not by my own.”
While Maxen has been privately out for some time –he’s dated his boyfriend, Nick, for over two years– he says support from friends and family prompted him to finally live the open life he’s always wanted.
#ConDRAGulations!
(Photo, Instagram; via Queerty)
