Guys, this is so so amazing! I translated one of the articles into English:
Danish professional athlete says: “I’m gay”
Experts call it “a sensation” that 27-year-old ice hockey player Jon Lee-Olsen of the Rungsted Seier Capital now openly comes out as gay.
With these words, 27-year-old Jon Lee-Olsen wrote Danish history in ‘Go’ tonight LIVE ‘on Thursday (October 3rd 2019) night.
He is now the first professional male ice hockey player in Denmark to be openly gay - and the only third worldwide
Only three men have been openly gay and professional ice hockey players at the same time.
Lars Peter Karlsson, Sweden (1966-1995): Karlsson played a single season in the Swedish league. As a 29-year-old, he was murdered in a hate crime.
Brendan Burke, Canada (1988-2010): Played for the Miami RedHawks. Told his teammates in 2009 about his sexuality. Died the following year in a traffic accident.
Jon Lee-Olsen, Denmark (1992): Player for Rungsted Seier Capital. The first Danish top athlete to come out as a gay man in ‘Go’ evening LIVE ’.
- There is a risk that some people will yell at me when I play matches. You have to be ready for that and it requires maturity. But I feel that I am ready to show that you can easily be gay and play ice hockey, he says.
However, it is a decision that has been years in the making for the Rungsted Seier Capital goalkeeper.
- It was very difficult to come out to my parents, but it was easier than in the hockey environment, says Jon Lee-Olsen, who told friends and family seven years ago that he likes men.
“It took longer than I expected, but now I’m ready to stand up for myself and others,” he said.
In Danish sports, openly gay men are strongly under-represented, and no professional handball, soccer, badminton players or cyclists have yet emerged.
This has also been the case in the Ice Hockey Metal League so far, which is why Jon Lee-Olsen has been nervous about both his teammates and the reactions from the crowd.
- The hockey environment can be tough to be in, and “homo” and “gay ass” can be shouted at you during matches. That is why I have asked myself if people in this environment are ready for it and whether they can accept me as who I am, says Jon Lee-Olsen.
With his decision, he hopes to pave the way for other ice hockey players who have not yet had the courage to come out of the closet.
- I am sure that in the future there will be others who stand out and I hope that I can help give others the courage to take the leap.
Jon Lee-Olsen is a goalkeeper of Rungsted Seier Capital, which last season won the Metal League - Denmark’s best ice hockey series.
Kenneth Reinicke, associate professor of human research at Roskilde University, regards ice hockey as one of the sports in which macho culture is most pronounced. That’s why Jon Lee-Olsen’s decision to come as a surprise comes to him.
- It’s a real sensation. It’s a great story and it’s totally brave, he says.
Like Jon Lee-Olsen himself, Kenneth Reinicke also believes that his honesty can help change a negative culture.
- He’s a fantastic role model. He shows that you can play a tough contact sport and be gay. At the same time, it might make some think, “Why am I standing and yelling gay slurs when I know Jon is gay?” The researcher says.
- Much of it is empty insults, which don’t really have to mean anything. Still, it is a challenge to pay attention and it does not invite one to be open about one’s sexuality, Kenneth Reinicke estimates.
The same showed an American study among both hetero and gay ice hockey players earlier this year. The unprofessional players who came out as gay were previously scared that it would stand in the way of the sport, but instead experienced the homophobic statements in the locker room disappeared.
In ice hockey, homophobic slurs are found in both the locker rooms and in the stands, and therefore the lack of openly gay players may be due to the fact that there are not really many of them.
- Much of what we can say about the culture of soccer or football is even more pronounced in ice hockey. That’s why I think the gay jumps off, says Kenneth Reinicke.
Jon Lee-Olsen has that experience too.
- If some have had doubts about their sexuality, they may have stopped playing hockey early - simply because it was easier, he says.
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