Robbie Rogers on why there aren’t more out pro athletes: ‘I guess people are still afraid’

It’s been more than two years since soccer star Robbie Rogers came out to the world as a gay man.

Later in 2013, NBA player Jason Collins came out then NFL-hopeful Michael Sam did the same.

So why have no other pro athletes in any of the major sports followed in their footsteps?

‘Honestly, I’ve asked that same question and had discussions with my teammates and family, and I just don’t know the answer,’ Rogers tells GQ.

Rogers is now in his third season with Major League Soccer’s reigning champion Los Angeles Galaxy and was singled out by President Barack Obama when the team visited The White House earlier this year.

Rogers had hoped others would be inspired to come out after he, Collins and Sam did.

‘I thought for sure when one of us came out other people in our sports would come out too, that there would be a few of us in soccer or basketball,’ he said. ‘I guess people are still afraid of their careers and what they would experience in the locker room.’

While Rogers has had no locker room incidents, he is the only one of the trio who has not had to struggle to find a place to play.

After more than a decade in the NBA, Collins sat out much of the season after his coming out until he was signed by the Brooklyn Nets. He finished the season with the team then retired.

Sam meanwhile was drafted out of college by the St. Louis Rams but dropped after the pre-season. He was then signed for the Dallas Cowboys practice team and later dropped.

The homophobia Rogers experienced in the locker room all took place before he came out and before he joined Galaxy.

‘I wouldn’t hear as much from fans but it was more in the locker room from guys on the team—that’s where it affected me the most in England and when I was on the national team.

‘The most upsetting thing I can remember as a young player happened in England when I was riding a bike, doing a regeneration session after a game, and some of my teammates were all around me having a full-on “how could someone possibly be gay—that’s so disgusting” discussion. And I was just riding that bike thinking I was never going to come out.

But when he did come out, he was in for quite a surprise from some of those guys.

‘Some of those same guys were the first ones texting me to say “Robbie we love you so much.” It’s very interesting how the brain works—those guys got caught saying things they thought the other guys wanted to hear, even though they didn’t really seem to believe them.’