Orlando Cruz who has made history s the first openly gay boxer to come out while stil lcompeting has opened up for the first time since his subtle announcement over a month ago. In an interview last night with John Frankel on the HBO series Real Sports, he talked about the fear he felt being in the closet as a boxer and why athletes only feel comfortable coming out after they've retired from the sport they have excelled in. Ornaldo says he decided to come out now because he wanted to gain respect and now: "[I'm] very, very happy. I am free."
You hear that sound? That's the sound of millions of boys boxer briefs dropping to the floor from the sound of Orlando's smooth voice. I want to congratulate him for taking the brave step to be who he truly is, especially in a macho sport like boxing.
I really hope that since we are slowly moving towards equality and respect for the LGBT community that people like Orlando and others will get the respect they deserve and show that there is more to being gay than the stereotypes that plague our community by fearful heterosexuals.
If you would like to see the episode in it's entirety again, it will air today at 5:10 p.m. EDT and Friday at 10:30 a.m. EDT and 7 p.m. EDT on HBO2.
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